Iceberg, Right Ahead!
by LilBeachBum
Summary: AU The cast of HA are sailing on the most famous ship of all time: the Titanic. Explore the secrets and scandals of the first and third class passengers, and crew aboard the unsinkable ship. Who gets together? Who ends up hurt? But most importantly, who survives the iceberg? No one is guaranteed safe. Rated T for some language and sexual situations. Not a crossover with the movie.
1. All Aboard

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is my second story, and I'm excited to be writing it. I will continue updating "Escape from Death" while writing this as well.**

**Another thing I want to mention is this is not a crossover with the movie. I'm going to try and make it as accurate as possible. Enjoy!**

April 10, 1912 Southampton, England

"And this is your room, sir."

Arnold Shortman entered his stateroom. It was more extravagant than the one had on the _Mauritania._ It had wooden wainscoting with ornate wallpaper. The floors were carpeted with intricate designs. In one corner was a decorative, mahogany bed with fresh linens. A small table with chairs stood in the center of the room.

"Marvelous," Arnold said while taking in his surroundings. "Are all first class rooms like this?"

"Yes, sir," the steward replied. "With the exception of the parlor suite rooms. They have several rooms, including a sitting room and a private promenade. It is recommended more for larger parties, sir."

"I see. Regardless, this room will more than suffice."

Just then, there was a knock on a door on the side wall. The steward opened it to reveal Arnold's valet in the adjacent room.

"How are you enjoying your room, Gerald?" Arnold asked.

"Most exquisite, sir," the valet replied. "I have never lived in a more beautiful place, sir."

"Very good." Arnold turned his attention to the steward. "You may leave now."

"Yes, sir." The steward bowed and left. Arnold turned towards Gerald.

"You can be yourself, now," he said with a grin.

Gerald let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders. "I'd thought he never leave. It's hard being so proper."

Arnold chuckled. "I know what you mean, but you must do what you can to help your family. How are they doing, by the way?"

"They're doing very well. They appreciate you and your family for giving me this position. They have been able to keep their house and my mother and sister no longer need to work in the factories."

"Good to hear," Arnold said. "The factories are not suitable for workers. I have seen firsthand what can happen there, and I must say, it is quite horrifying how they're treated."

"God damn! How long is this piece of metal?" a voice boomed in the hallway. Arnold groaned, immediately recognizing the owner. "I'm not paying good money to get a workout!"

"I guess the Pataki's will be on board, as well," Gerald stated, rolling his eyes. Arnold nodded as he sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm guessing that means his wife and youngest daughter are accompanying him?"

Arnold's heart fluttered at the mention of the youngest Pataki. He looked up at Gerald, trying to maintain his composure. "It would be surprising if they weren't."

"Just perfect," Gerald scoffed. He began to pace around the stateroom in a huff. "Not only do we have to deal with the rudest millionaire known to man, but we have to deal with her daughter, the biting shrew!"

"She's not all bad, Gerald," Arnold reassured. "I know there is some good in her."

"You appear to be the only one who believes that," Gerald commented, stopping in his tracks to look at his employer. "Honestly, Arnold, the whole family is dysfunctional! The man's a brute; the wife's is a blatant alcoholic, not matter what they want to say. The elder daughter lives in her own little world, and to top it all off, Helga has a sword for a tongue!"

"Gerald," Arnold stood up and stared sternly at his friend. To say he was annoyed about the situation was an understatement. "I will not have you speak in that manner about Miss Pataki. No matter how she may act, she is above your position, and therefore, demands respect."

"Yes, sir," Gerald muttered sarcastically. He knew he was in a better position than most people in the same occupation. He had an employer who was compassionate to his staff and their families. Overall, Arnold was a good man to everyone. On the other hand, Arnold always seemed to run to the shrews' defense, and it had Gerald wondering if there was something more. "If I may be bold to ask, are you sure you don't fancy her? You always appear to come to her aid whenever someone says anything negatively about her."

Arnold was unsure how to answer. He has never told anyone his feelings towards her. It wasn't so much that he worried how others would perceive it, but rather if she would accept him. But Gerald's opinion meant a lot to him, too, and Arnold knew how much Gerald abhorred her. Simply put, Arnold didn't feel comfortable talking about it to his valet and confidant.

In general, Arnold never liked when anyone would talk badly about a woman, but he absolutely detested when someone would gossip about the young Pataki girl. It wasn't her fault who her parents were. Sure, she would be blunt, maybe even offensive, but he knew there was something special about her. Something he found stimulating.

"Let's go to the boat deck and watch the ship sail off," Arnold suggested, trying to switch topics.

Gerald knew something was going on. He had an inkling, but he didn't want to push his luck. On rare occasions he has seen Arnold get mad, and he certainly did not want to be on the receiving end of that rage. "Yes, sir," he replied, appeasing Arnold.

The two gentlemen walked out of the room and into the corridor. They walked past several rooms when they came across a petite maid carrying multiple boxes. Arnold saw who it was and softly smiled.

"Pardon me," the maid squeaked, not seeing who was in front of her.

"My apologies, Phoebe," Arnold replied, catching a box that was about to fall to the ground.

"Thank you, sir," Phoebe replied. She followed the hand that held the box to its owner's face and gasped. "Mr. Shortman! I was unaware you were going to be onboard."

"It was a last minute decision," Arnold explained. "Business called for me to return to New York, and this was the first ship heading that way."

"I understand, sir," Phoebe nodded. Then she saw the man standing next to Arnold and her face lit up with joy. "Hello, Gerald. It's lovely to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine," Gerald bowed. Phoebe giggled at the gesture. "I am certain we will be seeing more of each other the next few days."

"I'm sure we are," Phoebe agreed. The weight of the boxes seemed to be getting heavier as time went on. "If you excuse me, I have to get these boxes to Miss Helga's room before they all fall to the floor."

"Miss Helga is here?" Arnold asked a little too enthusiastically. His reaction had taken the two servants aback, but they both had an idea of why he did.

"Yes, sir," Phoebe replied. "She is staying with her parents and sister in one of the parlor suite rooms. I believe she will be on deck later of for the departure."

"Will you be up there?" Gerald asked.

"Miss Helga is allowing me to roam the halls and explore once I finish," she explained. She wanted to stay, but she could barely hold on to the boxes anymore. "Excuse me." She passed by them and headed for the parlor suite. Gerald looked back at her and had a goofy grin on his face. Arnold took notice of this and concocted a plan.

"Gerald, I believe that Phoebe will need some help navigating around the ship," Arnold suggested. "I ask that you accompany her and help her find her way."

Gerald looked at him in confusion. Arnold knew Phoebe was smart and that she would find her way around the ship faster than he ever could. But he was not going to miss an opportunity to be around Phoebe.

"If that is what you request, sir," Gerald answered. He gave a slight bow and headed towards the Pataki stateroom. Arnold shook his head in amusement and headed towards the deck.

* * *

"Can you believe the way he was acting? I swear, people would believe we are stowaways in fancy clothes."

Helga Pataki sat at her vanity with her head in her hands. Her head was pounding after her father's outburst earlier. Even though they were frequent, it didn't change how embarrassing it was to have everyone look at them like they belong in an asylum.

"I may have some information that might make you feel better," the maid said with an invisible smirk on her face.

Helga looked at her, doubting anything she said could possibly make her feel better. "What is it, Phoebe?"

"I was fetching some more of your wardrobe when I saw Mr. Shortman with his valet," Phoebe tried to hide her giddiness. "Apparently, he is needed back in America and bought a last minute ticket."

Helga's eyes widened. "Arnold is on the ship?" Her heartbeat increased and she almost swooned before shaking her head. "Why would I possibly care if he is on board? How is this news supposed to make me feel better?"

"I'm sorry, miss," Phoebe said. She chuckled to herself, knowing that Helga was thrilled about this news. Phoebe knew of her affection towards Arnold, and she could see that Arnold had some fondness for Helga. It was quite frustrating that they insisted on hiding it from one another.

"It's quite all right," Helga waved off, adjusting her hat so it was slightly skewed. "And I told you countless times to call me Helga when we are alone."

"Right, sorry mi- Helga," Phoebe corrected herself.

"Do you know where my mother is?" Helga asked, abruptly changing topics. Phoebe knew she was finished discussing Arnold, but not because Helga was tired of talking about Arnold. She was fearful of admitting her true feelings. And so, Phoebe followed her employers' silent command.

"I'm afraid she's already passed out on the bed," Phoebe admitted. Miriam managed to drink a whole bottle of gin before boarding the ship. It was not uncommon that Miriam would drink herself to sleep, but starting this early in the day was ridiculous.

"Of course she is," Helga sighed, rubbing her temples. "I guess we will just have to tell everyone she is sick. Again."

"Of course, Helga."

Helga stood up. "Well, I'm bored here. I'm going to leave before Olga comes in, crying about how wonderful everything is. Or Bob starts complaining about how the parlor suite is too small. You have been excused to do as you please."

"Thank you, Helga." Phoebe followed. The moment they stepped outside, they ran into Gerald.

"Hello, Miss Pataki," Gerald managed to choke out. "Mr. Shortman requested that I escort Phoebe around the ship to help her to navigate her way."

"He did, did he?" Helga smirked. Although she couldn't stand Arnold's valet, it was obvious that the two servants fancied one another. "Well, if that is what Mr. Shortman requested, then I will not be the one to get you into trouble."

"Thank you, miss," Gerald replied, giving a slight, stiff bow. He extended his elbow to Phoebe, who wrapped her arm around it. As they walked off together, Helga stifled a chuckle and left before anyone from her family could spot her.

* * *

"Nadine, be careful with that! It's very expensive!"

"Sorry, Miss Lloyd." Nadine came into the room carrying multiple hat boxes stacked on top of one another, obstructing her view.

"If anything is destroyed, it is coming out of your wages!" Rhonda screeched. She took her hat off and placed it on the vanity. She looked around her elegant room, and she was less than impressed with what she had.

"Yes, miss." Carefully, she sat the hat boxes down on the table, without any of them falling.

"Now, go help with Miss Sawyer's belongings," Rhonda waved her away. "When you are finished, come back and put mine away."

"Yes, miss." While it would make sense to finish in this room before going to the next, Nadine knew better than to question her employer's demands. She curtsied and left the room.

Rhonda looked around in disgust. "I guess it will have to do," she muttered. "I don't understand why it has to be so small." She waited a few minutes before opening the door to her suite room. She stalked the hallway before she found a handsome steward exiting one of the rooms. She found her most recent prey.

"Excuse me, can you come here?" she asked politely.

"Yes, miss," the steward obliged, entering her room. She closed the door behind them and had him sit in one of the chairs. Rhonda sat next to him, with a mischievous look on her face.

"My name is Rhonda Wellington Lloyd," she introduced. "My father is a very wealthy business owner currently living in New York. He has given me £400 for this trip, and you are how I want to spend it."

The steward looked at her confusingly. "I'm sorry, miss, I don't understand."

"I'm looking for a young man to accompany me whenever I desire," Rhonda explained while looking at the table, attempting to be coy. She then looked up to the steward. "I am offering this position to you."

The steward had a state of shock on his face. He was absolutely flabbergasted by her request. "Miss, I don't believe this is appropriate. I am merely but a steward."

"I know the money I am offering you can change your life," Rhonda persuaded. "You can go into any job you desire, or repay a debt if you have one. It is entirely up to you. Just know this will be for only the duration of the trip and there must be discretion."

The steward pondered for a moment. Never before had a woman, especially one as beautiful as Rhonda, offer money for his company. Then he thought of the money. It was more than he made a year on the White Star Line. He could certainly use it. He would be risking his career, but that amount of money was worth it.

"I am at your service, miss," he bowed his head, smiling a gorgeous smile at her.

"Splendid!" she beamed. "You shall receive your money at the end of the trip. What is your name?"

"Thaddeus Gammelthorpe, miss," he answered. "But most people call me Curly."

"What a unique name," Rhonda said. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Thaddeus stood up immediately and opened the door. A redheaded woman entered the room, ignoring the steward.

"Rhonda, I have some oh so wonderful news!" she squealed. "I just ran into Olga Pataki and she invited us both to luncheon with her."

"Wonderful indeed, Lila," Rhonda agreed. Her attention went to Curly. "I will let you know if and when I need you again." Curly bowed and left.

"There is just one problem," Lila mentioned, then lowered her voice as if she were afraid anyone would hear her. "Olga asked us to invite Helga if we find her."

Rhonda groaned. If there was one person that she loathed, it was Helga. She couldn't understand how a woman could be so outspoken and rude. "That certainly won't work," she concluded. "We will simply have to find someone else to fit that seat."

"I did see Gerald Johanssen in the corridors," Lila mentioned with a sly grin. "Which means Arnold Shortman is on board."

Lila used to not think much about Arnold until he took over the family's hotel business and inherited the family fortune. Ever since, Lila had been trying to figure out a way to make him hers. The problem was she had never formally met him.

"Is that so?" Rhonda asked. She knew Lila wanted to be with Arnold, and she may now have a way to get them together. "I think I just figured out who can fill that seat."

"I oh so believe you and I are on the same page," Lila grinned, with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

* * *

"I have to say, going through that health inspection really bites," a tall man complained.

"Boy howdy, that was rough" a shorter man agreed. "But America wants an inspection for all emigrants before entering the country. And I must say, I'm happy about that. The thought of lice on this ship creeps me out." He shuddered at the thought.

"Where's the saloon? I'm hungry!" a larger man whined, causing heads to turn to the trio.

"Harold, you're always hungry," the short man reminded Harold. "Come on, let's go find our room."

The three men traveled through the maze of third class, finally finding their room. Inside was a man with red hair, making his bed on one of the bottom bunks.

"Hi there!" the redhead said. "I'm Eugene Horowitz. I'm originally from Ireland but I've been working in England for the past five years. I think we are going to have such a great trip! Who are all of you?"

The trio looked at Eugene with mouths agape. What had they gotten themselves into?

The tall one was the first to speak. "I'm Stinky Peterson. This is Sid Gifaldi and Harold Berman. We are all from Yorkshire but wanting to go to America to try and make a better life."

"Yeah," said Sid. "We know that it's the land of opportunity and we wanted to get a piece of it."

"Do you have any food? I'm hungry!" Harold complained once again. The other two rolled their eyes while Eugene was taken aback.

"I think I may have some bread and jam," Eugene said. He went to get his suitcase before he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. "I'm okay."

"You know what, we're going to just head to the saloon," Sid said, motioning to the door. "Come on, guys."

"Oh, okay, I'll see you later!" Eugene waved from the floor.

The three were down the hallway before someone finally spoke.

"This is going to be a long trip," Sid said.

"I'll say," Harold agreed. "How did we end up with an Irish klutz as a roommate?"

"Do you think this ship has any lemon pudding?" Stinky asked. His two companions stopped and looked at him, trying to figure out where lemon pudding went with the recent conversation. Stinky looked back at them. "What?"

* * *

Helga rested her arms on the rail, looking at the docks of Southampton. This will be the last time she will ever see England. She can see the people waving goodbye, but she knew none were directly to her. If anything, England was excited to see her leave.

"Hello, Helga," a male's voice said. Helga looked over to see the object of her affection standing next to her. She decided to try and be polite to him.

"Hello, Arnold," she replied.

Arnold looked at her with concern. "No insulting names? Are you feeling well?"

Helga rolled her eyes. Apparently being polite wasn't going to work. "What do you want, Football Head?"

Arnold smirked at the nickname she had especially for him. He used to be insulted, but he grew to be quite fond of it. "I heard you were on the ship and I wanted to come and say hello."

"Which you have already done, and yet, you're still here," Helga retorted.

"Must you be so difficult?" he asked with a slight hint of playfulness in his voice.

Helga turned to face him directly. "Would you prefer me if I weren't?"

"Not at all," Arnold smiled. Helga's heart was beating rapidly. Did he really like when she spoke like that? Helga smiled back softly.

"Arnold, darling!" The two blondes looked over to see Rhonda walking with another woman. It took every fiber in Helga's body to not groan at the privileged princess. "How good to see you again! I didn't know you were sailing on this ship."

"It was a last minute decision," Arnold explained. He then motioned to the blonde next to him. "I'm sure you remember Helga Pataki."

"Of course. I thought that was your father I heard earlier." Helga scowled. She cursed her father and Rhonda under her breath. But Rhonda wasn't finished. "How is your mother?"

"Sadly, she is feeling under the weather," Helga lied, attempting to keep her voice calm. "Sailing excursions tend to make it worse."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Rhonda said. Helga knew he was lying, but kept her mouth shut. "Silly me, I'm being so rude. Allow me to introduce my traveling companion, Miss Lila Sawyer. Lila, darling, this is Arnold Shortman."

"A pleasure to meet you, Lila," said Arnold, extending his hand out to her.

"Oh, I'm ever so sure the pleasure is mine," Lila chirped in a sickeningly sweet voice, placing her gloved hand in his. "I'm oh so certain we are going to get along well."

Helga rolled her eyes. She knew girls like this. They appear sweet, but she knew to keep them at an arm's distance. Sadly, for someone as polite as Arnold, she knew Lila was going to crush him.

"Arnold, dear, would you honor us with the pleasure of accompanying us to luncheon when we sail away?" Rhonda asked. "Olga Pataki will be joining us as well, and I'm sure she would love to see you again."

"Um, sure, I guess," Arnold fumbled. He really didn't want to, but his upbringing prevented him from saying no.

"Marvelous! We shall see you then." The two girls walked away. Arnold sighed in relief. Helga giggled at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked, still flustered at what happened.

"You are," Helga replied, trying to hold back any remaining laughter. "You looked as if she was handing you a death sentence. Although, you are also dining with my sister, so it might as well be one."

"Why do you dislike your sister so much?" Arnold asked. He heard Helga talk about Olga before, and she never had anything positive to say.

"I don't dislike her," Helga defended. "I dislike what she represents. Women like her insist on being perfect and happy all the time, and that isn't life. If everything were perfect, it would be boring. Sometimes, it's the imperfect parts that are the most beautiful."

"That is so poetic, Helga," Arnold said in awe. Never before had he heard a woman talk that way. He liked it.

"I've had some practice," she said nonchalantly. He was just about to ask her how when the ship's horn blared, indicating the departure from the dock.

"Well, I guess this is farewell to England," Arnold said, waving to the people below.

"And hello to sailing on the Titanic."


	2. Lunchtime Chatter

**A/N: I just did a major revision of chapter one and it nearly doubled in size. So I recommend you reread it before moving onto this one. Hope you all enjoy it!**

"Wait, so they really do like each other?" Gerald asked Phoebe. It was time for luncheon and the two servants were able to find the servant's dining saloon on C deck. It was a very plain room with white walls and multiple ordinary tables and chairs. Despite the fact they were traveling in first and second class, they were still servants.

Naturally, Phoebe easily found everything in the first class with ease, while, Gerald was still confused as to what deck they were on. They were on the promenade deck as they sailed away. They got to see the exercise room, the library, and the first class dining saloon.

The subject of their employers had come up when they sat down to eat. Gerald admitted that he thought Helga was brash, but he thought that Arnold may have some romantic feelings for Helga, despite the fact he would refuse to acknowledge them. Phoebe then mentioned that Helga would get excited when Arnold's name was uttered, but would quickly try to hide it and insult him.

"It appears so," Phoebe said, eating her food. "What I don't understand is why they won't admit their feelings. I mean, it's kind of obvious they have admiration for one another, but they, for some reason, refuse to say so."

"Maybe they're embarrassed," Gerald suggested. "I mean, if I liked someone like Miss Pataki, I wouldn't want to admit it to anyone. I'm surprised that you are able to tolerate her as an employer."

Phoebe gave him a pointed look and placed her fork down. "She is an excellent employer," Phoebe argued. "She has treated me with nothing but kindness. Sometimes, she tends to treat me as her equal as opposed to her maid. It's the rest of the family that treat me badly. Even though I'm assigned only to Miss Pataki, the rest of them would have me take care of them. Miss Pataki always intervenes and tells them to stop because I was not hired to work for them, but only for her."

Gerald sat there guiltily. He had no idea how Phoebe's work environment was and how much Helga has helped her. However, it was difficult for him to look pass Helga's attitude. "My apologies, I had no idea," he said. "I just find it difficult to know the good side of her when she hides behind the attitude. Why is she so afraid to show that to other people? Is she scared no one will take her seriously or something?"

"Maybe not about being taken seriously," Phoebe thought carefully, "but more so that she won't be accepted."

"How do you mean?" Gerald asked, still eating.

Phoebe sighed. She felt a little uncomfortable talking about Helga's past, but she felt Gerald needed to know so he can understand. "She is often forgotten by her family," she explained. "All their attention has been centered on Miss Olga. It had been that way for years, and it got worse when she got married to their second cousin, who, incidentally, also has the same last name. Mr. Shortman was one of the only people to ever give her positive attention and show he cared about her. I think she worries that he will reject her because of what happened with her family. That's why she lashes out and insults him."

"That certainly makes sense," Gerald replied, reflecting on what he just said. "And here's what I've noticed recently: whenever I see them together and Miss Pataki uses her… biting wit," he said, carefully choosing her words, "he seems to laugh about it, like he's enjoying it. I think he's a masochist or something."

"He likes that she's different," Phoebe determined. "But perhaps he thinks she doesn't like him in that way. Oh dear, we need to figure out how to get them together."

Gerald looked at her as if she grew an extra head. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive," Phoebe replied. "I think they could be very happy together. They just need a push in the right direction. And you're going to help me."

Gerald was hesitant. He still was not a fan of Helga Pataki, but it didn't matter what he thought. All that mattered was Arnold. He had done so much for Gerald over the years. The least Gerald could do was help him in the romance department. He sighed. "Okay, I'm in."

"Excellent," Phoebe exclaimed, smiling widely. Gerald shook his head. He was a sucker for her smile.

"Hello," a tired Nadine greeted Gerald and Phoebe as she sat down next to them. She had dark circles underneath her eyes and her muscles her sore from carrying both Rhonda and Lila's luggage. Who knew two women could have so much?

"Nadine, are you all right?" a concerned Phoebe asked.

Nadine nodded. "Just a little tired. Thank goodness Miss Lloyd and Miss Sawyer are at luncheon with Miss Pataki and Mr. Shortman. That should keep them occupied for a few hours."

Phoebe tried to process what Nadine just said. Helga was eating with Rhonda and Lila? She couldn't stand either of them, and there was no way she would ever torture herself by eating with them, even if Arnold was there.

"Miss Helga is eating with them?" Phoebe asked.

"No, Miss Olga," Nadine corrected, rubbing her eyes.

Phoebe looked over at Gerald. "That does make more sense," Phoebe whispered to him. "You might want to get Mr. Shortman out of there. The dining room is one deck below."

Gerald nodded and excused himself. Phoebe quickly finished her food and left an exhausted Nadine to sleep at the table. She ran into Helga in the corridors.

"Phoebe, I will be in the Reading and Writing Room for the rest of the afternoon. You can spend it how you wish, but please make sure to get everything unpacked before dinner."

"Yes, miss," Phoebe curtsied and headed to the staircase. She planned to head up to the suite and unpack first, but a sudden idea inspired her to go downstairs instead.

* * *

"I can't believe there wasn't any lemon pudding," Stinky whined. The three had just finished eating, although Harold more or less inhaled his meal. They were currently in the third class main room playing cards.

"I can't believe you're still talking about lemon pudding," Sid muttered, annoyed his friend's obsession with the fruity dessert.

"But I love lemon pudding," Stinky continued, picking up two cards. "It's the best thing in the entire world."

"Stop talking about food!" Harold complained. "It's making me hungry!"

"How can you still be hungry?" Sid asked, surprised. "You ate everything on the menu!" He threw some coins in the middle.

"I'm always hungry," Harold argued, picking up an extra card.

"Okay, can we talk about something else now?" Stinky asked, putting some money in the middle as well.

"Let's go over the plan for once we get to America," Sid suggested. "We get off in New York. Once we get there, we get on a train to California and try to search for gold. Once we get some money, we go to where they make the moving pictures and become famous."

"I think I got it this time," Stinky said, taking a swig of beer, "but I might need to tell me again once we get to America."

"I think we can be popular," Harold said. "We could do some slapstick comedy and make people laugh. We could make a lot of money on it."

"That just gave me an idea," Sid thought out loud to his friends. "Why don't we do a comedy skit here? We could joke around and make everyone laugh. And if we're good enough, they may even pay us."

"I reckon that is the best idea I ever heard," Stinky said. He loved the idea, as did Harold.

"Let's do it!" Harold shouted.

"Hi, guys!" the trio heard from the other side. They looked to see Eugene headed their way. Eugene must have been so focused on them because he didn't notice the metal pole right in front of him. "Ow," he moaned as he hit the pole with his head and fell to the ground. "I'm okay!"

The passengers in the area laughed at Eugene. Sid looked around at the laughing people. Another idea struck him. "Gentlemen, I just had a brilliant idea. But first flip your cards." The friends obliged and showed their cards. "Four of a kind," Sid observed. "I win."

* * *

In the first class dining room, Arnold found himself bored to death by the incessant chattering that surrounded him. He was not one for idle gossip, and he cursed himself silently for agreeing to dine with the most valid women he has ever met.

"I heard that John Jacob Astor and his child bride will be boarding at Cherbourg," Rhonda gossiped. "And little Madeline is in a… delicate condition."

Lila and Olga gasped. "You don't say," Lila replied. "I wonder if she'll try to hide it or if she'll flaunt it."

"Probably hide it," Rhonda answered while playing with her food. "She wants to appear virginal when we all know she isn't."

"Well, I heard some interesting news," Olga said after taking a sip of her drink. "Benjamin Guggenheim is also going to be onboard, but his family isn't with him."

"Then who's accompanying him?" Rhonda asked while leaning in, intrigued by a new scandal.

"His French mistress, _Madame Aubert,_" Olga answered in a false French accent. The girls giggled at her attempt to sound French. Rhonda's eyes bugged out and hid her mouth with her hand. She loved hearing about gossip, but she knew she had to be careful or else she would become a topic of conversation herself.

"Don't get me started on the Strauss'," Lila mentioned. "They're the co-owners of Macy's."

"Aren't they Jewish?" Olga asked.

Lila nodded. "Guess who won't be joining us at the table for dinner." The women chuckled again.

"Will you be enjoying us for dinner Arnold?" Rhonda asked. She turned to see an uninterested Arnold with a glassy look in his eyes. "Arnold?!"

At the sound of his name, Arnold awoke from his daze. He shook his head and tried to remember in the conversation they were in. But alas, he could not. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Rhonda huffed. "I asked if you will be joining us for dinner tonight. I'm sure Lila would be thrilled for you to be with us."

"Ever so thrilled," Lila agreed. She batted her eyelashes at him. She didn't get to talk to Arnold as much as she wanted to during this meal, but it was difficult when Rhonda and Olga had such 'oh so' interesting news about the passengers on the ship. But she will make it a priority to spend time with him, and she planned for the two of them to walk on the promenade together after luncheon.

Arnold smiled uncomfortably. He didn't know what exactly, but there was something about Lila that made him uneasy. But he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. However, he knew if dinner was going to be similar to his experience during luncheon, it would end up being a long night.

"Who will all be at the table?" Arnold asked, hoping to find a reason to not join them and not offend them at the same time.

"It will be the three of us, Olga's parents, the ship's builder, Mr. Andrews; Mr. Ismay, who is the representative for White Star Line…"

"And my dear little baby sister!" Olga finished, clasping her hands together. "It was such a shame that she couldn't be here with just for luncheon, but we are so glad that you were able to fill in."

"Yes, it's quite sad indeed," Rhonda interjected rather quickly. She hoped that Arnold wouldn't get hung up on the fact that Olga thought Helga didn't want to join them, when in fact it was that Rhonda and Lila neglected to invite her. "So Arnold, what do you say?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Shortman," a familiar voice called. Immediately, Arnold knew it was Gerald. _Thank you,_ he thought.

"Yes, Gerald, what is it?" Arnold asked his valet, grateful for the interruption.

"I hate to both you while you are eating," Gerald lied, "but there appears to be a problem with the heater in your room. I wanted you to check it before I had a steward come in."

"Well, I will come with you," Arnold replied. He rose from his chair and faced the women. "I'm sorry, ladies, to leave so abruptly. I shall see you all later." He left before anyone could object. The women stood there, astonished.

"Well, I never," Rhonda harrumphed. Never before had she seen Arnold act that way, and she certainly didn't appreciate it.

"He didn't even answer if he was coming to dinner," Lila pouted. "And I was hoping to walk with him on the promenade this afternoon."

"Why don't you go to his room and ask him?" Olga suggested. "You know that's where he's going. Go put on a nice dress and make him fall for you."

Lila smiled joyfully. "You're right, Olga. Thank you ever so much!" Lila rose and left the saloon, leaving Rhonda and Olga behind.

"I better get going, too," Rhonda said. "I need a steward to inspect the room. There appears to be something wrong with the bed." Rhonda bid Olga farewell and hurried to find Curly.

* * *

"I owe you big time," Arnold told Gerald. "I couldn't handle any more of their conversation."

"I'm happy to help, sir," Gerald answered. "And so you know, the heater is fine. I found out with whom you are eating, and I knew I had to help get you out of there." Arnold smiled at his valet. He was more than an employee to Arnold. He was a friend. The two ascended the grand staircase as they saw Phoebe coming down in a hurry.

"Phoebe, is something wrong?" Arnold asked the maid.

"I need to see Miss Lloyd," Phoebe said. "Her maid, Nadine passed out in the servant saloon. Luckily I was able to run into Miss Helga who was on her way to the Reading and Writing Room on A deck when she told me Miss Lloyd was still in the dining room."

"Oh my," Arnold replied. "I hope she is all right. But Helga was correct when she said Rhonda was in the saloon. She may still be there if you hurry."

"Thank you, Mr. Shortman," Phoebe curtsied and headed down the staircase.

Arnold couldn't help but hear where Helga was and wanted to see her. "Gerald, could you go unpack? I'll be back in the room before dinner."

"Certainly, sir." Gerald watched as Arnold walked up the staircase. He knew well enough where Arnold was going. Gerald turned to see Phoebe standing at the bottom of the staircase, with a mischievous smile plastered on her face.

Arnold made it to A deck to the room Phoebe mentioned. He looked inside the room to see the beautiful blonde scribbling furiously on some paper. Arnold thought she looked absolutely adorable, especially when she stuck her tongue out as she focused. Arnold almost didn't want to disturb her, but then she closed her book and leaned back into the chair. Slowly, he opened the door to the room. Unfortunately, the door was squeaky and caused Helga to look at him.

"Arnoldo," she greeted smugly. She looked at him and chuckled. "You look horrible. Did they torture you at luncheon?"

"You have no idea," he laughed along with her. He motioned to the seat next to her, silently asking if he could sit there. She nodded and he sat down.

"That bad, I'm guessing?" Helga asked, but she already knew the answer. She could see it in his face. His eyes looked tired, but there was a glimmer of happiness in them. Helga wondered why that was.

"It was very shallow," Arnold explained. "All they could ever talk about was the passengers who were coming on the ship and the scandals that surround them."

Helga snorted. "How stimulating."

"And that snorting is very ladylike," Arnold joked. "How do you expect to find a husband when you act like that?" Automatically, Arnold regretted the words that came out of his mouth.

Helga scowled at him. She wouldn't ever admit it, but what he said hurt. She knew that is what everyone in their social circle thinks of her, but the fact that he also felt that way broke her heart. "If a man truly cared for me, he would accept every part," she said quietly. "He wouldn't try to change me. But, it appears that type of man doesn't exist." She stood up and headed towards the door when he grabbed her hand. Her heart trembled, but she refused to look at him.

"I apologize, Helga," Arnold said. She refused to look at him. "That was inappropriate for me to say. I just want you to know, that is not how I feel about you."

She looked at him curiously. "Then how do you feel about me?"

Arnold struggled to find the words. He wasn't ready to admit his feelings to her, but he didn't want her to think that he found her disgusting.

"I find you to be an amazing woman," he started. "You are so different from the rest of them. You aren't concerned about gossiping or knowing the latest social news. You look for the deeper meaning in things and are knowledgeable about many subjects. Any man will be lucky to have you as a wife."

Helga was surprised to hear what he said. She could tell in his tone of voice that he was being sincere. She could see in his emerald green eyes such passion, but she was unsure exactly what that passion was for. Did he only think of her as a friend, or did he think of something more? Regardless, she smiled at him.

The two blondes just stood there, with Arnold still holding onto her gloved hand. They gazed into each other's eyes, smiling at one another. Little did they realize that a certain redhead was spying through the window with an envious stare on her face.


	3. A Proposition for You

Rhonda fell back onto her bed with her hands near her face. She wiped her glistening forehead as her full, luscious breasts bobbled up and down, attempting to catch her breath. While Rhonda had many lovers in her time, she never had an escapade quite like that before.

"Where… did you learn… to do that?" Rhonda panted as she turned to the man who gave her the most pleasurable intercourse she ever had.

"One of the secrets of the sea," Curly replied. He was sitting up against the headboard with one hand behind his head. He took a long drag of a cigarette. After he exhaled the smoke, Curly rolled his eyes downward, ogling at her body. Her alabaster skin contrasted with her raven hair. Both allowed her blue eyes to pop behind her full lashes. The plump, pink lips drove Curly mad. Before he realized it, he could feel himself pressing his lips against hers. She moaned softly into it and then pulled back.

"When you finish that," Rhonda pointed to the cigarette, "you can leave."

Curly looked at his almost fully burnt stick of tobacco. Of course he was disappointed that she didn't want him to stay, but they had the whole journey to have a rendezvous. He flicked the last of it into the ashtray and got up to put on his uniform.

"I retire at eleven thirty," Curly mentioned as he pulled his pants up and tightened his belt. Rhonda laid on her side with her hand propping her head up. His body intrigued her. Muscles bulged from every angle. Rhonda could have sworn he was Apollo in human form. _He must have done something physical before becoming a steward._

"Come at quarter til twelve then," Rhonda requested. "I will make sure my maid is gone by then. That is, if she ever decides to show up. I swear, she thinks she works on her own time because she is never around when I need her."

"If she is so incompetent at her job, then why do you keep her around?" Curly asked as he buttoned his shirt.

Rhonda sighed. "My mother hired her," she said while rolling her eyes. "She's not the best at hiring help, and I would have them dismissed almost as soon as they entered the door. Mother grew annoyed at me doing this and told me that I have to keep this one for at least six months before I am allowed to hire a new maid."

"How long has she been working for you?"

"A week," Rhonda said simply. "Already I have had more than enough from her. She's absolutely horrid."

"I apologize, miss," Curly said, kissing her hand. "If I could, I would take away all that causes you grief and fill your life with nothing but happiness."

"Well, you can certainly try when you come visit me tonight," Rhonda smirked, already excited for what he had in store for her later on.

"At your service, miss. I shall see you tonight." Curly bowed and left the room, leaving Rhonda to sigh blissfully into her bed. If he continued to send her into ecstasy like that, she would have to give more money, and to her, it would be well worth it.

An unwanted knock at the door sent Rhonda back to reality. She groaned, thoroughly exasperated that she now had to get up.

"Just a moment!" She called to the door. Rhonda pulled the blankets off her as she slid out of bed. It was a bit difficult getting back into her dress without her corset on, but she managed. She opened the door to find a sobbing Lila on the other side. "Lila? What's wrong?" Rhonda motioned the distraught redhead into her room and had her sit down.

"It was oh so horrible!" Lila blubbered. "I did what Olga suggested and changed into this." Lila motioned to the lavender dress she was currently wearing. "I went to Arnold's stateroom and his hideous, dark-skinned valet answered the door. He told me that Arnold had left and didn't know where he went. I demanded him to tell me and absolutely refused. I walked all over this ship looking for him. I finally found him in the Reading and Writing Room. He was…" her sobs turned into a downpour.

"He was what?" Rhonda asked. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting in anticipation what Lila observed.

"He was with _it_," she spat. "And… he was... holding her hand… and he had this look on his face. He looked like he was admiring it."

Rhonda's jaw dropped as she clasped her hand over it. She was in complete and utter disbelief, for she knew to what, or more appropriately, _whom_ Lila was referring.

"No," she gasped through her hand. "Arnold Shortman was holding hands with that excuse of a woman?"

Lila nodded, unable to speak another word. She pulled out a handkerchief and cried into it. Rhonda just sat there, shaking her head in disbelief. Arnold was the epitome of what it means to be a gentleman. He was smart, handsome, and rich. He had his pick of any woman, and the fact that he would choose Helga Pataki over anyone else was social suicide.

"She's manipulated him," Rhonda told Lila, in an attempt to console her. "He doesn't know what he is doing. And it's up to us to get him back on the correct path."

Lila looked up from her handkerchief at Rhonda. "How are we ever going to do that? I saw the look in his eyes. He's ever so serious about that… that beast!"

Rhonda sat back and let her scheming mind take over. "We have to separate them. The perfect opportunity will be at dinner."

"How is that perfect?" Lila asked, confused. "He never said that he will join us at our table!"

"If he is interested in her as much as you say he is, he will be at our table to be near her," Rhonda clarified. "He wouldn't dare miss any time with her. But we will make sure that we keep him away from her, and that he spends all evening with you. And just for fun, I have a little surprise for our dear friend, Helga."

Lila wiped her eyes and leaned in towards Rhonda. The eyes that once held disappointment were now filled with vengeance. "What do we need to do?"

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Stinky asked his short friend. The small pack were on their way back to their cabin to ask their roommate to join in their newly formed comedy troupe.

"Positive," Sid replied firmly, leading the way. "You saw the way everyone in the common room laughed when he slammed into that pole. It will be a riot!"

"I don't know about this," Harold included, waddling his way back after eating so much food. "Won't we have to give him part of the profits we make?"

"Yeah!" Stinky added, "If we give him some of our money, that means we won't be making as much. Did I say that right?"

"Yes, Stinky, you did," Sid confirmed as he turned to face his two apprehensive comrades. "Look, guys, I have it all figured out. Just follow my lead and everything will be all right." Sid turned again and headed back to the cabin.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Stinky whispered to Harold.

"Me, too," Harold confirmed. His stomach grumbled so loud it echoed throughout the labyrinth of corridors. "Aw, man, I'm hungry again!"

"Once we finish talking to Eugene, we will go to dinner," Sid persuaded. Soon the trio entered their cabin to find it in disarray. Clothes and books were scattered across the floor and they were being flown there by Eugene.

"What the hell?" Sid asked, tiptoeing his way into the room, trying not to step on anything. Stinky and Harold followed suit.

"Why is the room so cluttered, Eugene?" Stinky asked.

Eugene looked up to see his roommates standing there aghast by the invisible tornado that ransacked their room. "I'm sorry about the mess, but I can't seem to find my turtle. He was here when I left, but when I came back, he was gone. Have any of you seen him?"

"No," Sid and Stinky said at the same time. Their eyes turned suspiciously over to Harold. He was taken aback from the glares he was receiving.

"I didn't do it!" Harold protested. "I didn't even know he had a turtle!"

"Come on, Harold," Sid scoffed, not buying it for a minute. "Just admit you ate the turtle and we can call it a day."

"You ate Snappy?" Eugene asked as a shocked look appeared on his face.

"No!" Harold insisted. "I don't eat anything that is currently alive! I have limitations, you know."

"Actually, we didn't," Sid muttered, then turned his attention to Eugene. "I would like to apologize on behalf of my friend. I didn't realize how inconsiderate he is of other people's possessions. As a way to make it up, I have a business proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" Eugene wondered intriguingly. Sid smiled at his enthusiasm.

"My friends and I are part of a traveling comedy group," Sid lied, but continued on with the truth. "And we were wanting to perform for the passengers after dinner each night. We think they could have a lot of fun with it. We saw how you ran into the pole earlier today and we found it inspiring. We thought you would make an excellent addition to the group."

"Really?" Eugene asked in a surprising manner. "But I didn't do that on purpose. It was completely an accident, like every other time I run into something. Or trip. Or slip."

"That's the beauty of it," Sid replied smoothly. "It's not planned. But we would love to have it as part of the show. I can guarantee people will love it! And we will give you some of the profits we earn."

Eugene was hesitant at first. He didn't like that he was so accident prone and people found it so amusing. On the other hand, this was the first time anyone has ever wanted to include him. He felt honored, but he also wanted to make sure he was getting his share.

"How much of the profits would I receive?" Eugene asked.

"Fifteen percent," answered Sid. "We thought it would be fair since you are a guest to the troupe and not an actual member."

Fifteen percent was not bad, but Eugene had to make sure they were serious about wanting him. "I want twenty-five percent," he demanded, "or you can try to find someone else."

Sid chuckled hesitantly and looked at his friends for help. Both were shaking their heads in opposition of such a pay rate. Sid grabbed his hat off his head and wrung it through his fingers. He knew they wouldn't be happy about his decision, but he knew they would be outstanding with Eugene involved.

"Deal," Sid agreed and shook Eugene's hand.

"Ah!" a voice called out in the hallway. "That little green monster bit me!"

"I told you I didn't eat the damn turtle!"

* * *

Helga was sitting at her vanity as Phoebe styled her hair. It was almost dinnertime and Helga didn't want to look like she was wearing a hat all day.

"Did you have a pleasant afternoon, Helga?" Phoebe asked, remembering her employer's wishes to be more casual in private.

"Eh, it was all right," Helga replied casually, trying to hide her excitement that Arnold held her hand for so long. "Then that Football Head Arnold had to come in and distract me."

Phoebe held back a chuckle, now understanding the reasoning behind her sourness towards him. "It appears that you have been running into him quite a bit recently."

"Like any of it is my fault," Helga retorted, looking at Phoebe's reflection. "You know he is working with 'father' about getting telephones set up in the Shortman hotels. With all their business together, it's no wonder that we see him more often in social gatherings."

"Will he be at dinner with you tonight?" Phoebe asked as she pinned Helga's hair up.

"He said he will be," Helga answered in a pseudo annoyed tone. "Honestly, I feel like every time I turn around, there he is, teasing me relentlessly."

_Or flirting relentlessly,_ Phoebe thought to herself. "If he bothers you so much, then may I suggest you don't sit next to him at dinner? That way you aren't obligated to speak with him."

"Then who should I sit beside?" Helga challenged. "Out of everyone who I know will be at dinner, Arnold is one of the most tolerable, even though he annoys me to no end." Helga examined her hair. "It's beautiful, Phoebe. You can go and fetch some dinner and walk around a little bit. Once I'm finished eating, I shall require your assistance to retire for the night. After that, you are free to do as you please."

"Yes, Helga," Phoebe replied. She gave a slight curtsy and left the room. Once Helga knew she was alone, she pulled out a small picture frame. Encased behind the glass was a picture of Arnold.

"Oh, my love," she whispered. "How I wish I could express my feelings about you, but alas, I cannot. I fear that you will not reciprocate because you see me only as a friend, if you can even see me as that. But one day, you will know what you mean to me, if I can ever find the strength to tell you."

* * *

Arnold and Gerald were lounging in Arnold's room before dinner. Since it was customary not to dress up on the first night, Gerald didn't have much preparation to do.

"Were you able to help Phoebe find her way through the ship?" Arnold asked his valet.

"Indeed I did," Gerald chuckled. "Although at times, she was the one doing the leading. She is such a smart woman."

"So I've noticed," Arnold said. "I think you have an admirer, Gerald."

Gerald blushed. Yes, he noticed some connection between him and Phoebe, but he didn't, think it was obvious. Quickly, he switched topics. "Speaking of admirers, you had a young lady looking for you after I helped you during luncheon."

"Oh?" Arnold asked somewhat interested. "Who was it?"

"Miss Lila Sawyer," Gerald answered, trying to say her name nicely. It was difficult, especially after the conversation they had earlier.

"Oh," Arnold said flatly, his shoulders slumping. "What did she want?"

"She was looking for you. Something about taking a walk around the promenade. I told her you weren't here. She asked where you were, and I answered honestly that I didn't know." But Gerald knew well where Arnold was. He just didn't want to embarrass him about it.

"How did she take the news?" Arnold questioned.

"Not well," Gerald admitted. "She became a bit… how do I say this? Hostile? She was certainly unhappy that I didn't know your whereabouts and then she stormed off."

"Interesting," Arnold muttered. "She did not act like that while we were eating. Sure, some of the things she said were shallow, but in no way hostile."

"I'm just telling you my experience," Gerald explained. "But that doesn't mean she isn't a nice young lady. How you go about with her is entirely up to you." By then, Gerald was no longer talking about Lila. He hoped that Arnold would subtly pick up on what he is trying to say. But knowing how dense his employer can be, it was unlikely.

"I thank you for that," Arnold said, "but I must admit that I am not interested in her like that. And to be honest, I'm not looking forward to being around her for dinner."

Gerald knew Arnold's reasoning for joining what will be a gathering of mindless noise for dinner, so he tried to get Arnold to say why. "If you are not fond of her, then why join her and the others for dinner? It doesn't appear you care for any of them."

"I have my reasons," Arnold simply put, ending the discussion right there.

* * *

Curly roamed the corridors in first class. The passengers had headed to dinner, and was in charge of guarding the rooms to prevent anyone from stealing the valuables that weren't being held in the Purser's office. Soon, the ship will port in Cherbourg where more passengers will board, including some of the richest men in the world. However, his mind was not on catching looters or preparing for new arrivals. Instead, he was focused on Rhonda.

He had never met a woman who would pay to be with him. On the contrary, it was normally him giving money. When he was younger, he learned his way around the bedroom from the ladies of the night that waited at the docks for men who have been away at sea for so long. He soon became educated on how to pleasure a woman. He was unable to put his knowledge into practice until earlier that day.

Curly soon became distracted by something new. He was unsure of what it was, but it sounded like something was dying. He hurried through the hallways, searching for what is responsible for the noise. Soon he came across a maid curled up in a corner. Her face was hidden, but Curly could tell she was crying. He bent down next to her.

"Pardon me, miss, but are you all right?" Curly inquired. The young maid lifted her head to expose her tear stained face.

"No," she whimpered. "I'm going to get sacked. I just know it." She covered her face with her hands and cried into them.

Curly couldn't help but feel sorry for this girl. He knew well about the fear of being fired from a job. In fact, he was risking being fired from his current position if he is caught sleeping with a passenger.

"What makes you think you will be sacked?" he asked the melancholy maid, handing her a handkerchief.

She sniffed into it. "My mistress hates me," she cried. "I try my hardest to please her and her companion, but it's difficult, sir. They pull me in many different directions and I end up running ragged. I couldn't help it, but she was infuriated when she found out. Earlier this afternoon, she threatened to hit me if I were ever to do it again!"

"Who is your employer? Perhaps I could talk to them."

"No, you mustn't!" she waved her arms wildly. "I shouldn't even be complaining, sir. I'm lucky to have a job like this. I was almost destined for the poor house before I found the advertisement for a maid. I most certainly didn't want to end up in a factory, and I saw that they were travelling to America. I have never been outside England, you see, and I wanted to see the world. I just never realized how difficult the position would be. And I ask that you don't question who my employer is. I don't want her thinking that I'm defying her orders. I would sure get beaten and then sacked. Please don't say a word of what I said to anyone!"

She cried into his chest. Curly was uncomfortable from a woman he did not know well be so emotional around him. He was uncomfortable around emotional women in general. However, this woman's story touched his heart. There was one side of him that wanted to go to her employer and give her a piece of his mind about treating the help like that. But the other side, his professional side, knew that it wasn't his place. Not to mention he didn't want to do something that would cause him to lose his agreement with Rhonda. Gently, he patted her back.

"There, there," he said with uncertainty. "It's going to be okay. I give you my word that I won't say anything about this."

The maid looked at him with a speckle of hope in her eyes. "Do you really mean it?" she asked.

Curly nodded. "I won't ever mention this discussion again."

"Oh, thank you!" she hugged the steward. Again he patted her back, not knowing what to exactly do. "You have no idea what this means to me!"

"And I'm sure I never will," Curly agreed. "I ask that you try to keep it professional, miss."

The maid soon realized what she was doing and broke loose her embrace. "I apologize. But thank you for allowing me to do that. It actually helped, in a way."

"Well, if you ever need to talk, just come and find me," he offered as he extended his hand out to her. "My name is Curly."

The little maid placed her hand in his and shook it.

"Nadine."

**A/N: Three chapters in and we still haven't had the first night's dinner. Yes, I plan on extending this out as much as possible, because let's face it, it doesn't make sense to have it be short. While there will be plenty of drama, romance, and tragedy ahead, there is one thing I will not have. Nowhere in this story will there be a large piece of wood that will be a topic of debate for years to come and will need an episode of **_**Mythbusters**_** to determine that it is plausible to hold two people on it, thus making the death of a loved character completely unnecessary.**


	4. Wanted and Unwanted Companions

**A/N: I must say I'm completely surprised how people are responding to the story. I'm glad you all love it. I'm happy that I decided to wait until after my first story to continue with this one and decided to rewrite the first chapter. I hope you all continue to enjoy it, even though it took three chapters to write about seven hours' worth of time. I predict there will be one more chapter after this before we wrap up the first day of the voyage.**

Arnold had positioned himself at the base of the grand staircase shortly before the doors of the dining saloon were to open. Exteriorly, he displayed a sense of calm and regal. On the inside, he felt his internal organs twisting into knots. His hope was to escort Helga to dinner and make an attempt to sit next to her.

While he waited for her arrival, he spent time saying hello to other passengers. They would make small talk, discussing matters of business and others of the sort. He had just finished up talking with Mr. Allison when he noticed blonde hair at the top of the landing. Arnold smiled as he saw Helga walking down with her father and Olga.

She was about halfway down when Helga saw Arnold smiling at her. Helga bit her bottom lip to remain calm. The lip soon slid out from her teeth and morphed into a scowl when she saw who was standing next to him.

"Arnold, darling!" Rhonda greeted him. Arnold internally groaned when he heard the haughty voice next to his ear. The last person he wanted around was Rhonda, even if they were to sit at the same table. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to ask Rhonda to leave, but his good nature once again prevailed.

"Nice to see you again, Rhonda," he replied. He looked beside her and realized they weren't the only ones there. "You too, Lila."

"Oh Arnold, I'm ever so happy that you feel that way," Lila answered, smiling an innocent smile. At least, as innocent as she could make it.

"Arnold, won't you be a dear and escort Lila to the dining room?" Rhonda asked on behalf for her friend.

"Oh," Arnold became flustered. He could feel his expectations crumbling down. This was his only chance to settle this. "I would love to, Lila, but I'm afraid I was going to ask Helga-"

"Ask Helga what, Football Head?" Arnold jumped at the new voice. He turned to see Helga standing there. Her lips were pursed and eyes were narrow. Even though he could tell Helga was unhappy about people talking about her, Arnold still found her beautiful.

"Helga!" he screeched, then cleared his throat. "I was about to ask you um… um…" Arnold was trying his hardest to let the words come out, but they became stuck in his throat. Lila looked to Rhonda with fear. She could feel her chances to be with Arnold for dinner were slipping away. However, Rhonda remained calm.

"Arnold wanted to ask if you had any objections to him escorting and sitting next to Lila for dinner," Rhonda interjected. Lila internally sighed, thankful her friend was able to come to her aid. Soon, that innocent smile that was worn morphed into one of triumph.

Helga looked over at Arnold. To say she was disappointed was a gross understatement. She had hoped to sit next to him and they would have witty conversations with one another, with it ending in him falling in love with her. But that cannot be, now. She could not object without admitting her true feelings, and she refused to admit them to Rhonda and Lila.

"Why would I care who Arnold escorts or sits next to at dinner, Princess?" she challenged to Rhonda. "He can do whatever pleases him, and if that is sitting next to Lila, then let him sit next to Lila. I couldn't care less." That last sentence stung both blondes. Helga immediately regretted saying it, and internally kicked herself for it.

Arnold now realized Helga doesn't think of him the same way he does, and she probably never will. It was silly of him to ever think she would. He decided right there it was time to stop pursuing someone who was not interested in him, especially since there was someone next to him that has blatantly shown him that she admired him.

"Lila, I would be honored to escort you." He extended elbow to her. Lila gleefully wrapped her arm around his and they walked to the dining room. Even though Helga maintained her nonchalant expression, her heart was crushed to see Arnold walk off with Lila. Rhonda beamed with excitement as she prepared the next part.

"Helga, dear, I know someone on board who would love to escort you," Rhonda informed. Slowly, a scowling Helga turned to face the privileged snob. She knew better than to trust Rhonda.

"Not interested," she spat. Helga was about to leave when she felt Rhonda pulling her back.

"I insist," Rhonda said. "He works with my father. He is quite the gentleman." Helga looked at her as if bugs were crawling out of her ears.

"If that's the case, then why don't you let him escort you?" Rhonda merely smiled, although on the inside, she was groaning. Rhonda knew Helga was stubborn, but she didn't expect it to be this difficult.

"Mr. Ismay already offered to escort me," Rhonda explained. "Not to mention, my friend has mentioned he has admired you from afar for many years. He could even take your mother's seat since she is still under the weather. At least, that's what Olga said."

The earlier part of Rhonda's speech struck a chord with Helga, causing her to ignore the statement about her mother. She knew well how he felt. Perhaps this new guy will be able to distract her from having to see Arnold with Lila. Sighing, she accepted defeat. "I guess I can let him escort me tonight," Helga muttered. "But only tonight!"

"Wonderful!" Rhonda beamed, trying to disguise the malicious smile trying to creep on her face. "You will absolutely love him. And here he comes." The two women looked at the crowded staircase. Helga looked around to find the man to whom Rhonda was referring. Just then, Helga could hear a wheezing sound behind her. She turned to see a tall lanky man. He had sandy blonde hair and wore glasses. "Helga, dear, this is Brain. Or more commonly known around the office, Brainy."

"Uh," he wheezed. "Hi."

* * *

"Why do they have to be so stubborn?" Gerald asked Phoebe. With their employers at dinner, they knew it was time to get some food for themselves. Both servants attempted without success to get the employers to confess their feelings. Now they sat in the servant dining room surrounded by all the servants from first class, exhausted by their losses.

"I have no idea," Phoebe replied, playing with her food. "And to be honest, I really don't want to talk about it right now. It's giving me a headache."

"Okay then," Gerald obliged. "What do you want to discuss?"

Phoebe glanced from her food to the dark-skinned valet. "How did you manage to get employed by Mr. Shortman?" she asked. "I don't believe I have ever heard the story."

"You haven't?" Gerald answered with a question. Phoebe shook her head no. "Well, it is an interesting story, to say the least. My family was living in New York, in a neighborhood on the island of Manhattan. My father was unable to work because of a bad knee, so it was up to my older brother and me to bring in money. My brother, Jamie-O, worked as a newsie. I, on the other hand, worked a… less than reputable job."

"What did you do?" Phoebe asked, inquisitively.

"I would steal," Gerald confessed with ease. "I was an excellent pickpocket. I would be able to get billfolds, watches, jewelry. Most of it I sold off for money. My family didn't know what I did, nor did they ask. All that mattered was there was food on the table."

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered softly. "You don't do that now, do you?"

"Don't you worry," Gerald assured. "I gave up that life when I met Mr. Shortman. Someone told the police I was selling off stolen products. They were chasing after me and I ran into a bar. I sat in a stool and ordered a drink. I saw the police come in and I got nervous. The man next to me saw them as well and he gave me his cap to wear. I put it on and kept my face hidden until they left. I thanked the man next to me and he asked me my story. I told him everything. He was sympathetic about my life. He introduced himself as Mr. Shortman and offered me a job as his valet. I would be paid generously and he would place my family in some housing he owned in Harlem as long as I don't steal anymore. To this day, I haven't gone anywhere near anyone's pockets."

"You're right," Phoebe said. "That is quite a story."

Gerald got a bit nervous. He was unsure of how Phoebe would take what he just said. But he knew that he needed to be honest about his past if he were to ever have a future with Phoebe. "I hope I didn't scare you."

Phoebe remained quiet for a moment. She took the time to absorb everything she was just told. It was a shocking to hear Gerald's criminal past. She never thought that someone like him could ever do something illegal. But Phoebe could understand the circumstances. He was just trying to help his family, and she couldn't chastise him for doing that. And for as long as she knew him, he never attempted to steal anything from her or anyone in high society. Also, Phoebe knew Gerald wouldn't still have his job if he had continued his former occupation. It was apparent that Gerald cared about his family, and he wouldn't risk a good job that could land them in the streets.

"On the contrary," Phoebe replied, startling Gerald. "I'm flattered that you were honest with me. Most people would be too ashamed to admit something like that. And you were able to take on an honest job and become an honest man. That takes bravery, and I admire that very much."

"Really?" Gerald asked. Phoebe nodded, sincerely smiling at him. "In that case, there's something else I want to confess." Gerald instantly got nervous, but he knew he had to do this. He saw how Arnold can't be honest with his own feelings, and Gerald didn't want to always wonder. "Ever since we met, I've always had a sort of… fondness towards you. You are bright, clever, and absolutely beautiful. I have never met anyone like you before. Every time we run into each other, I get excited. And the more we talk, the more I adore you. I guess what I'm trying to say is I…"

Gerald choked on the words. Phoebe had a concerned expression on her face. "You what, Gerald?" she wondered.

Gerald took a deep breath. "I love you."

Tears formed in Phoebe's eyes. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She had longed to hear those words from Gerald, and now her wish had come true. "Oh, Gerald," she wept. "I love you, too."

Gerald beamed at the reciprocated affections. He was immediately glad that he confessed his feelings. "Why don't we get out of here so we can have some privacy?" he suggested.

"Sounds lovely to me." The two got up from their table and left for some alone time to revel in their mutual love.

* * *

Roars of laughter and applause filled the third class common room. The quartet of comedians had just finished up their first set for the passengers. It appeared to be a victory for the four roommates. Their set included multiple trips, slips, slaps, and falls. The funniest segment was when Eugene slipped on a wet surface and ran into Harold, flying them across the room. Somehow in the process, Harold's pants became undone. When he stood up, the pants fell to the ground, exposing his undergarments. Harold looked down at the sight he was displaying, quickly picked up his bed, and yelled 'Mommy!' at the top of his lungs as he ran off. At least, he would have if he didn't slip along the same surface Eugene did. He fell on his rear end and slid across the floor. The space between his legs soon collided with a pole.

When the set was over, passengers who were musicians began to play some music and the other passengers danced around, after making sure everything was cleaned up from the comedy skit. Harold was sitting down, holding an ice pack to his injured appendage. Eugene was also icing his injuries. Stinky was sitting next to him, eating some lemon pudding he managed to find in the dining room. Sid collected all the money they made from their skit and began counting it.

"We made twenty dollars," Sid announced. "So that will be five dollars for each of us. Not bad for our first night."

"Gosh, they sure did like us," Eugene strained to speak. He had flipped over a bar and bruised his upper abdomen, just below the ribcage.

"You would think we would have made more with what we went through," Harold replied in a high pitched voice. He groaned as the pain increased as the ice melted.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice asked. All four men looked to see a young woman standing at the end of the table. She was one of the housekeepers for the third class. In her hands was a new pack of ice. "You sound like you're in pain." She offered Harold the new pack and took the old one away. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask. My name is Patty."

Harold was unable to utter a syllable. In front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had brown hair that matched her chocolate brown eyes. She was well-endowed and had hips more than capable birthing children. When Harold remained mute, Patty excused herself, leaving the men to their business.

"Harold, what the bloody hell was that?" Sid exclaimed to his larger friend.

"Yeah, Harold," Stinky chimed in. "How come you didn't say nothing to that pretty lady?"

Soon enough, Harold was able to speak again. "I think I'm in love," he admitted.

* * *

The first class dining room consisted of multiple tables and green upholstered chairs. The floor was made of blue linoleum tiles with red and yellow patterns. The china was basic, with the White Star Line logo printed on them. The guests chattered to the people next to them. That is, everyone but Helga.

She tried to give Brainy the benefit of the doubt, but he barely spoke, and his wheezing sounded like he was snoring. She had long given up on pretending to be polite and flat out ignored him during the courses they were supposed to talk to one another. It didn't help that across the table, Arnold and Lila were engaging in conversation, although it did appear Lila was doing most of the talking. Helga saw Lila continually touch Arnold's hand, which made her blood boil.

During one of the earlier courses, Helga attempted to talk to Brainy about his life and his occupation, but she didn't get much out of him. All he did was wheeze and say either 'Uh, I don't know' or 'Uh, sometimes,' even if the answer didn't match the question being asked. She cursed herself silently for letting herself be coerced by Rhonda to sit next to this guy. That was the last time she would ever listen to Rhonda.

The only solace Helga found during dinner was the man to her right. It was the ship's designer, Thomas Andrews. He talked to Helga as a person, and not as a fragile woman, which Helga respected very much. Mr. Andrews discussed the design about Titanic. He even offered to take Helga on a tour of the ship the next day, which Helga generously accepted.

On the other side of the table, Arnold was not faring much better. He had stopped listening to her after she began gossiping about the other passengers on the ship. She never even let him have a word in edgewise, and her constant need to touch him was getting ridiculous. His other dinner conversationalist was not much better, but at least he was able to talk. Somehow, he managed to be seated next to Big Bob Pataki. All Bob wanted to discuss was business, and whenever Arnold disagreed (which was often), Bob would be in an uproar that would disrupt the entire table and cause Helga to hide her embarrassed face.

Approaching the end of the meal, Arnold was going through another course of endless prattling by Lila. He glanced over at Helga, who was poking at her food. It was clear she was upset. Arnold saw Brainy looking at Helga, wheezing to his heart's content. Helga adorned her infamous scowl, which Arnold couldn't help but be attracted to. Even though, Helga basically said she wasn't interested in him, he couldn't help his feelings about her.

"Arnold?" an offender voiced called. Arnold came back to reality and turned to see a visibly upset Lila staring at him. "Didn't you hear what I said?" she asked.

"Um, no," Arnold said sheepishly. "I apologize. What did you say?"

"I asked if you would like to accompany me on the promenade tomorrow," she said with a hopeful look in her eyes. He chuckled uncomfortably. He knew that if he said yes, he would just be leading her on, and he didn't want to do that. But saying no would make her even more upset, and he remembered what Gerald had told him about her visit to his room earlier. Still unsure of what he would do, he began to answer.

"Well, ahem, Lila," he began. "I would like to join you tomorrow-"

"That is oh so wonderful!" Lila interrupted. She was so thrilled that she kissed him on the cheek, catching him off guard. He didn't know what to say or do, but the look on the face of the blonde across the table said enough.

Helga's eyes widened at the display of affection. She was tolerable most of the meal with Lila's persistent flirting, but now she had enough. She placed her napkin on her plate and stood up. As per custom, every gentleman at the table stood up. "Excuse me, but I have a headache." She left the table before anyone could say a word. Helga ran up the staircase, wiping away any tears that were starting to form. She went into a random corridor and pulled out her picture of Arnold.

"Why does she dangle you in front of me? It tortures me that she has managed to capture your affection and I am left by myself, longing for your love. But I won't go down so easily." She put the picture back into its hiding place. "Lila Sawyer, you messed with the wrong broad."

A wheeze appeared from behind Helga. Frustrated, her hands balled into fists, and she threw one behind her with all her might. The sound of glass breaking could be heard, followed by a loud thump.

When dinner was over, most of the men decided to go to the smoking room and meet up with some of the passengers who had just arrived from Cherbourg. Arnold decided he had enough for the day and dragged himself back to his room. He removed his shoes and bow tie before entering Gerald's room.

"Hey, Gerald, I'm ready for- whoa!"

Arnold blinked his eyes, in complete disbelief at the sight in front of him. Gerald was standing beside the bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. On the bed, covered in blankets, was a nude Phoebe.

"H-hey Arnold."


	5. Post Dinner Quarrels

Arnold stood in Gerald's cabin, traumatized by the sight that was before him. Not only was his valet wearing next to nothing with a woman in his bed, but the woman just happened to be Helga Pataki's maid. He didn't know what to think. On the one hand, he was happy that his friend was with the woman he loved. On the other hand, the professional hand, was disappointed by his valet's behavior. He hated having to act like a boss, but under the circumstances, he felt it was validated.

"Gerald, grab your clothes and come into my room," Arnold commanded. "Phoebe, you stay in here and get dressed. I'll take you back to Miss Pataki when you are finished."

"Yes, sir," they both answered sheepishly. Gerald quickly grabbed his clothes and followed Arnold into his room. Before he left, he mouthed an apology to Phoebe, who gave him a small smile in return. Gerald went into his master's room, awaiting the scolding he was sure to receive.

Arnold paced around the floor, unsure of what exactly to do about the situation. He couldn't even look at Gerald as he put on his uniform. Gerald didn't know what to say, either. This was the last thing he ever expected. When Gerald finished dressing, he stood there, waiting for Arnold to say something. The silence from his employer was most tortuous.

Arnold sighed as he grabbed the back of his chair and hung his head low. "You put me in a difficult position tonight, Gerald. I hope you realize that."

"Yes, sir," Gerald replied. He knew that this was not the time to be informal.

"I know you love her, but your behavior is deplorable. I cannot allow it," Arnold said sternly. He truly was happy for Gerald. In a way, Arnold admired him. He at least managed to confess his feelings somehow, because Arnold knew Phoebe would have not gone to bed with someone unless it meant something. Even then, Arnold was surprised she went along with it.

"I understand, sir, and I apologize," Gerald said. "However, I would like to go on record and say that nothing happened between Phoebe and me."

Arnold looked at him, not entirely convinced. "I believe your lack of clothing and the fact that she was in your bed says otherwise," Arnold pointed out.

Gerald sighed. He knew he deserved that, but he wanted to tell Arnold what really happened. "Please, just let me explain, sir." Arnold motioned his hand for Gerald to continue. "Thank you. During dinner, we professed our love for one another. We were both so happy that we wanted to… celebrate it. So we came back here and began kissing. Somehow we started getting carried away and before we knew it, clothes were flying all over the room and she was in my bed. We both then realized we were going way too far and stopped. I was just putting my underwear back on when you came into the room I swear on my mother's life I did not take Phoebe's virtue."

Arnold observed Gerald as he spoke. He could tell by the look in his eyes that Gerald was telling the truth. Arnold was happy to know nothing had happened, but he knew he still had a job to do.

"Thank you for being honest, Gerald, but you do realize that I still must tell Miss Pataki about this discretion?"

Gerald nodded. "Yes, sir. I apologize for putting both you and Phoebe in this uncomfortable predicament."

"Just don't let it happen again," Arnold warned. "I will discuss with Miss Pataki what to do about what to do with you two."

"Yes sir," Gerald replied. An idea soon popped into his head. An idea that will hopefully help with Arnold's situation with Helga. "And I just want to apologize for my attitude against Miss Pataki. You were right; she is a good person."

Arnold was stunned. He thought surely it would be a cold day in hell before Gerald would complement Helga. "What brought on this sudden change of heart?" Arnold asked.

"Phoebe," Gerald stated. "She told me what a good employer Miss Pataki is to her. She told me of her kindness while the rest of the Pataki's treat her poorly."

"I see," Arnold said as he took in what Gerald said. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Gerald continued. "Phoebe told me that the reason Miss Pataki acts the way she does because she is guarded. Miss Pataki is fearful of being hurt, so she tends to keep people away from her heart. I believe that she wants to love, but that no one will find her worthy enough. In a way, I feel sorry for her."

"Sorry, indeed," Arnold reflected. _So that's why she acts the way she does, _Arnold thought._ Helga, why can't you see just how much you're worth to me? If you can't see it, then I'll just have to show you._

"Mr. Shortman, I'm ready now," Phoebe softly spoke from the cracked door. Arnold switched his thoughts to the task at hand.

"Right, we better get you back," Arnold replied. "I'm sure Miss Pataki is wondering where you are. Gerald, when I get back, I would like to retire for the night."

"Yes, sir," Gerald bowed slightly before noticing something was wrong. "Um, sir?"

"Yes, Gerald, what is it?" Arnold turned to ask.

"You're not wearing any shoes, sir."

* * *

Rhonda and Lila were heading back to their rooms in a gleeful manner. Their plan to get Arnold and Helga away from each other went smoothly, and having Helga run out of the dining room made it all the sweeter. They were preparing Lila for her walk with Arnold the next day when they ran into a bruised Brainy. His glasses were shattered and his nose was swollen. Blood was gushing out of his nose.

"Oh my goodness," Rhonda gasped by the horrid sight of him. "Brainy what happened?"

"Uh, Helga," he wheezed harder than normal.

"The she beast did this to you?" Lila asked him, horrified.

"Uh, yeah."

"That thing is out of control," Lila complained. Still, she refused to acknowledge Helga as a person because of her actions.

"They all are. That's what you can expect of new money," Rhonda scoffed. It is true that that Pataki's recently acquired money because of the growing telephone business, so they haven't been trained the ways of how to act in high society. Rhonda's family, on the other hand, came from old money. The Wellington Lloyd's were part of the railroad business and have been a part of it for generations.

"I think we should get him to the infirmary," Lila suggested. "It looks like he's getting worse."

"I think you're right," Rhonda agreed. "Help me move him. And Brainy, make sure you don't get blood on my dress. It's a one of a kind design." Rhonda and Lila helped drag Brainy to the infirmary. When people stopped to ask what happened, Rhonda didn't hesitate to blame Helga Pataki. Soon enough, the word spread throughout the corridors of first class.

When the gossiping ladies placed Brainy back to the infirmary, they went back to Rhonda's room. Nadine was there, ready to assist Rhonda for bed.

"Ouch! Not so hard, Nadine!" Rhonda screeched as Nadine brushed her hair.

"Sorry miss," Nadine answered nervously. "I'll try to be more careful."

"Don't try, do!" Rhonda commanded, rolling her eyes. She was finished having Nadine as a maid. Never had she wanted so badly for a maid to be gone. Immediately she regretted ever firing all previous maids. "Lila, dear, are you excited for you day with Arnold tomorrow?" she asked, switching to a lighter conversation topic.

"Ever so excited," Lila gleamed. "I think having him alone will show him how oh so interesting I am."

"I'm sure he already knows about your interesting personality," Rhonda assured her friend. Nadine had to stifle a laugh from the two's delusions. Since she also had to wait on Lila, Nadine knew she was as interesting as a piece of toast. Luckily, Nadine only had to deal with Lila for the voyage, and then she will be going back to her family's cattle farm in Pennsylvania.

Lila's family was not rich by any means, but she was able to get into society parties because their cows produced the milk for Hershey chocolate bars. In fact, Lila was supposed to travel with Milton Hershey himself, but he had to delay his travels. When Rhonda found out Lila was supposed to be onboard, she immediately put her under her wing and insisted they traveled together. Naturally, Lila couldn't refuse.

"Nadine, go with Miss Sawyer and get her ready for bed," Rhonda commanded. "When you finish, you are dismissed for the night. And make sure you are up early to prepare the tea."

"Yes, miss," Nadine obeyed. After the long, dull duties of preparing Lila for bed, Nadine let out a breath of air as she headed back to her room to some much needed rest.

"Nadine!" a voice called from behind. She turned to see the handsome steward who assisted her earlier heading her way. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

"As best as I can feel about the situation," Nadine admitted. "Thank you for your assistance earlier. It was helpful to have someone just listen and not judge."

"It was my pleasure," he answered. He looked at his watch to view the time. "If you excuse me, I have an appointment I need to keep."

"This late at night?" Nadine questioned.

"It's part of the job," he explained, not wanting to admit his true appointment. "I hope to see you around, Nadine."

"You too, Curly," Nadine smiled as she went back to her room.

Curly rushed over to Rhonda's room and knocked on the door. Rhonda called for him to enter. When he did, he saw Rhonda standing there wearing a red sheer robe that passenger Lady Duff Gordon had designed.

"I've been waiting for you," she said seductively. She dropped the robe to expose her naked body. Curly grinned widely as he moved closer to her with one thought in mind.

* * *

The cabin for the four comedians was dark. After a long night, they were exhausted and in pain from their skit. However, they were excited to perform the next day. Sid and Eugene will be preparing the jokes. Stinky will be on another escapade in search of his beloved lemon pudding. Harold, on the other hand, will be looking for Patty. He felt foolish for not saying anything to her when she first introduced herself, and he wanted to try and make it up to her. Needless to say, Harold had a good night of dreaming.

At some point in the middle of the night, one of the members woke up and left his bed. He tiptoed around to prevent waking the other men up. They mysterious comedian went to the box that held the money they made that night. He opened it to see the twenty dollars inside. Stealthily, he grabbed the money and went back to his bed.

* * *

"Do you realize how embarrassing you were tonight?" Bob asked his youngest daughter. When dinner was over, Bob was livid about how Helga left the dining room. To make matters worse, news about her punching Brainy spread throughout first class. If Helga learned anything from that experience, it was to make sure no one was watching the next time. "The way you acted was completely inappropriate!"

"The way I acted was inappropriate?" Helga scoffed. "What about your behavior tonight? You spent half of dinner screeching like a madman!"

"How would you know?" Bob argued. "You weren't there half the time!"

"Daddy, baby sister, please don't yell at each other," Olga pleaded at the bickering family members. Tears were pouring down her face. Helga wasn't surprised by her sister's cries. Olga would cry if it were raining because she couldn't go outside. But alas, her pleas were ignored.

"She started it," Bob blamed, pointing his finger at Helga. "If she only behaved like a woman, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Are you being serious right now?" Helga asked, astounded by her father's accusations. She leaned in close to her father. "You were the one who spent all of dinner yelling at someone you're supposed to be working with. I was polite all through dinner, and the reason I left was because I had a headache. Actually, I can feel it coming back now."

"And you punching that weirdo with the glasses?" Bob asked. He knew there would be no was to get out of that one.

"I was stretching my arms and he ran right into one," Helga said without missing a beat. "Criminy, you would think being able to stretch your arms without it causing so much damn commotion."

"Hey, hey, hey," Bob scolded. "Watch your mouth, little lady! And it is none of your business how I talk to little Alfred."

"Arnold," Helga corrected, rolling her eyes. For years they've worked together, and yet, Bob could never get his name right. And she knew he never will. It was insulting at first, but now it was downright embarrassing.

"Yeah, Arnie," Bob continued, ignoring Helga's correction, as always. "How I discuss business with him doesn't concern you, or anyone else for that matter."

"It does when you yell about it in the dining room for all to hear," Helga muttered. As usual, Bob was oblivious to his own actions while every little thing Helga did was scrutinized. That is, if he ever he took notice of her, which was a rare occasion.

"Watch your mouth, Olga!" Bob yelled.

"It's Helga!" she screamed back, correcting him once again. "Olga is on the couch crying. Criminy! How hard is it to get your daughter's name right?"

"Helga, listen to your father," a new voice slurred. After being passed out for nearly nine hours, Miriam finally woke up. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings.

"The _Titanic_, Mother," Helga answered. "We're heading back to New York, remember?"

"Mmhmm, that's nice, dear," Miriam continued to slur. She was rubbing her eyes when she made some startling realizations. "Has anyone seen my glasses?"

"They're on your head," Helga deadpanned. She didn't even look at Miriam to know where the glasses were located. They were always on her head.

"Oh, that's where I left them," Miriam giggled as she placed them back on her face. "I need a drink," she muttered as she got off the chair she vegetated in nearly all day.

"Try some water!" Helga suggested. She knew it was pointless to even mention it, but yet she continued every time.

"Don't talk to your mother that way!" Bob scolded. "If you keep acting like this, you won't be allowed to sit with us during meals."

"Trust me, you'll be doing me a favor," Helga chortled. She shook her head and left the sitting room. It would be a dream to not sit with them. At least she could pretend that she didn't know her family. She also wouldn't have to deal with the malicious Rhonda and her stalker friend. But most of all, she didn't have to see Arnold and Lila together.

Helga lied on her bed and tried to close her eyes. When she returned from dinner, Phoebe was nowhere to be found. Helga could only assume that she was enjoying her time on the ship and didn't think twice about it. As she closed her eyes, thoughts of that afternoon came to Helga. She could still feel Arnold's hand on hers. How she wished it never had to end. If only she had the strength to tell him right then and there about her love for him. At least, she wouldn't have had to succumb to watching Lila put her hands all over Arnold, touching the very same hand that touched her.

Normally, she would accept defeat and let him go. But not this time. She refused to let Rhonda and Lila win this, especially since she knows exactly how Lila would treat Arnold. Helga can see plainly behind the sweet mask Lila adorns. Deep down, she doesn't care for Arnold, and Helga would rather die than see him get hurt.

Helga was almost asleep when a knock on her door pulled her from her near slumber. She trudged to the door to see Arnold and Phoebe were on the other side. "Phoebe? Football Head? What's going on?"

Arnold cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm afraid I have some discouraging news. May I come in?" Helga nodded and allowed them in. She closed the door and sat on the bed.

"Why is my maid with you?" Helga asked bluntly.

"That's what I need to tell you," Arnold explained. "When I came back to my room after dinner, I went into my valet's room to tell him I was ready to retire for the night. When I went in, I saw both him and Phoebe in there without any clothing and Phoebe was in bed."

Helga gasped at the news. "Phoebe!" she scolded in a hushed tone, not wanting to seek attention from her family. She didn't need another scandal circulating. "You didn't!"

"No, miss, I swear I didn't," Phoebe answered, her bottom lip trembling. She looked as if she was about to self-destruct at any moment.

Helga let out a breath of air. "Thank heavens for that," she said. "But that doesn't excuse your behavior. You know better than that. Now, if you would kindly leave the room so I can talk to Mr. Shortman for a moment. We will discuss this tomorrow."

"Yes, miss," Phoebe curtsied and left the room. Helga turned her attention to Arnold.

"They finally admitted they love each other?" Helga asked. Arnold looked at her, mildly surprised that she figured it out.

"You knew?" he asked.

"Doi," she replied sarcastically. "It's pretty obvious. They would have this glint in their eyes when the other was around."

"I see," Arnold muttered, wondering if he had the same glint in his eyes right now. "So, what are we going to do about this?"

"I honestly have no idea," Helga admitted. "I'm glad Phoebe found happiness, but she has to remember some decorum, and going into a man's stateroom alone is not the answer."

"I completely agree," Arnold said. "But we need to do something to prevent this from happening again while we are on the ship."

"Must we figure it out tonight?" Helga complained, lying on her bed. "It's getting late."

"My apologies," he said. He tried to focus on what needs to be done, and not on what he would love to do to her in that position. "W-why don't we t-talk about this over breakfast t-tomorrow?" he suggested.

"I guess that will work for me," Helga shrugged, wondering why he was stuttering all of a sudden. "Although I can't imagine how poor Lila would feel about that."

Arnold shook his head. "Helga, I beg that you don't bring up Lila. I really don't want to talk about her, much less hear her name."

"If that's what you want," Helga said. Inside she was beaming that he didn't want to talk about Lila. Hopefully, that meant he wanted nothing to do with her. "I'll be generous for now, since I am such a heartwarming person."

Arnold chuckled and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Helga."

"And don't you forget it, Football Head!"

**A/N: And that is the end of the first day at sea! Who knew so much could happen? On a side note, Milton Hershey did in fact have a ticket for Titanic, but had to delay his travels.**


	6. Pleasurable Morning

**A/N: A quick shout out to s2LaDolceVita for your excellent thoughts about mentioning the divide between old money and new money. It was something that I didn't think of, but it helps to make sense of why the Pataki's act the way they do.**

**And to LeDawn, your last review made me laugh, and I needed that last night. Thank you for that.**

**On a more serious note, I just started a new job last night and as much as I enjoy it, I will be having a lot of closing shifts this week, so I may not be able to update as quickly as I would like. Anyways, enough about me and onto the story. And this time, more from the third class since I've sort of neglected them throughout the story.**

April 11, 1912- Several hours away from Queensland, Ireland

Titanic was the first ship to provide a swimming pool, and Arnold decided to make use of it. He woke up when it was still dark outside and made his way to F deck where it was located. He had hoped a swim could help him clear his mind and prepare him for his breakfast with Helga later that morning. With each lap, it became difficult to calm down. All Arnold could think of was what Gerald told him last night.

_She's acts the way she does because she's guarded, _the thoughts echoed in is mind._ She fears that she will be hurt and no one will find her worthy enough. Helga, how can you think like that about yourself? Can't you see what an amazing, beautiful woman you are? Why am I unable to tell you all of this instead of thinking it?_

His thoughts turned to her on her bed when he dropped off Phoebe. He couldn't help but notice all of her curves and how more enhanced they became every time she inhaled. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled even under the dim electrical lights. That light pink skin looked so smooth, and Arnold wanted nothing more than to touch it and find out for himself. But that wasn't all there was to Helga; Arnold knew that. But last night was the first time he really noticed her physical beauty. When Arnold climbed out of the pool, he looked down to see all his blood went to one particular region, and it was bulging out of his swim trunks.

"This is getting out of control," he said to himself. "I have to tell her. At breakfast."

* * *

Harold scanned the dining room in search for the brunette who had stolen his heart the night before. It was early morning and Harold was unable to stay asleep, so he thought getting some breakfast would help. He wanted to see her before he lost his nerve and clammed up once again. He saw a steward walking around, and decided to ask him where she was. The steward told him that she should be down shortly. Harold thanked him and went back to his food. For once in his life, he was unable to eat.

A dining room door opened and there she was. She looked just as beautiful as she did before. Harold got and was heading to walk to her when he ran into a corner of the table and hit an area that was still bruised from the night before. "Mommy!" he squealed in a high-pitched voice as he grabbed the space between his legs and dropped onto the hard floor.

The dining room boomed into laughter and applauded Harold. They thought he was continuing from last night as a way to get one more laugh in. Harold just laid there, his face reddened with embarrassment. He didn't care if he made himself a fool in front of the entire third class; he was used to making a fool of himself on a regular basis. This time was different. She was different.

"Are you all right?" an angelic voice asked. Harold opened his eyes to a blur. As he focused, his vision began to clear, and the image of his heart's desire stood above him. Harold nodded, still unable to speak, but this time more from humiliation as opposed to apprehension. "Do you need me to help you up?"

Harold nodded again. Patty crouched down and grabbed his hands. With great force, she hoisted the large man up with no strain. _God, she's strong,_ Harold thought. _I am loving her more and more. Please love food as much as I do!_

"What's your name?" Patty asked. "I know you can speak since you just cried out for your mommy." Harold blushed, wishing that he didn't make a fool of himself every time she was around, and that she would forget those incidents ever happened.

"Patty, you're needed in cabin E 17," another steward said. "There had been an accident, although I don't know what exactly."

"Okay, I'll be there in a moment," she said. She turned back to Harold. "I guess I'll see you around. I hope your… manhood feels better."

_It's now or never,_ Harold thought. She was halfway across the dining room when he closed his eyes. "Harold!" he shouted louder than anticipated. He opened his eyes to see Patty, along with everyone else, was staring at him. There may have been laughter, but he didn't notice. All he saw was Patty and her reaction.

She laughed softly and smiled sweetly at him. "Nice to meet you, Harold," she said, then headed back towards the exit.

"Nice to meet you, too Patty," Harold said only to himself.

A sense of giddiness filled Harold as he skipped back to his cabin, causing many heads to turn. The giddiness faded when he saw the faces of his three roommates staring sternly at him.

"What's with all of you?" Harold asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Where's the money?" Sid asked, his arms crossed.

"What money?" Harold inquired, confused to what is going on.

"The money we made last night," Eugene clarified. "It's missing."

"I didn't touch it!" Harold defended. "I don't even remember where we put the money."

"In that box over there." Sid motioned to the small box near the sink. "How could you forget? Unless you're lying?"

"And why were you gone so early?" Stinky asked, placing his hands on his hips. "You're usually the last person to wake up."

"I kept dreaming about Patty," Harold explained. "I thought eating some breakfast would help me, so I went to the dining saloon. But my mind was on Patty so much that I couldn't eat. Then she came in and I went to go see her but I ran into a table and made an idiot of myself once again. She helped me up and was about to leave when I finally spoke to her. It was only my name, but still, I finally talked to her!"

Sid and Stinky stood there quietly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"You, Harold Berman, couldn't eat!?" Sid cackled, grabbing onto the railing on his bed.

"No, wait," Stinky heaved, trying to catch his breath. "A _girl_ had to pick him up!"

"What is she, a man in disguise?" Sid asked. Their laughter grew louder from the joke. Eugene just stood there, looking sympathetically at their large companion. Harold stood there, getting angrier by the second.

"It's not funny!" Harold yelled. "And Patty's not a man. She's a woman and I love her!"

"Harold's in love with a man!" Stinky screeched. "She's an awfully big man!"

"Maybe we should call her Big Patty!" Sid suggested, laughing at the top of his lungs.

Harold had enough. "You guys are assholes!" he yelled. He left the room, leaving the hyenas to their merriment as his and Patty's expense.

"Harold, wait!" a voice called from behind followed by a thud. "I'm okay."

"Eugene?" Harold questioned as he looked back to see the redhead on the ground. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to apologize," Eugene explained as he got up and dusted his vest off. "That was not cool of them to act that way or to say such things about Patty. She seems like such a sweet girl, and she doesn't deserve to be talked about in that way."

"Um, thanks," Harold said slowly. He began to felt bad about not trusting Eugene earlier. He was the only one to show him any kindness while his friends only made fun of him and his love. _Some friends they are. First, they accuse me of stealing money, and then they make jokes about Patty, even though she could easily squeeze them like a tube of toothpaste._

"You're welcome," Eugene replied. "You know, they're only jealous of you."

"Me?" Harold parroted, pointing to himself. "Why would they be jealous of me?"

"Because you were funnier than them last night when we performed," Eugene explained. "They can't stand that you got the most laughs. They also hate that a girl appears to like you."

Harold's eyes widened. "You really think she likes me?"

Eugene nodded. "Who wouldn't like the funniest guy around?" Harold shrugged, not knowing the answer. "Sid will be working on tonight's skit, but I think you and I should come up with some stuff on our own. We did so well together last night. Just imagine the applause and money we could make by working together."

Indeed Harold could. Already he saw the money coming in. But there was one problem to that fantasy. "Everything is split up evenly," Harold reminded Eugene. We're only going to get a quarter each of the profits."

"So, are you saying we should be paid according to how successful the skit was and the people who are in it?" Eugene asked.

"Exactly!" Harold exclaimed without a second thought. "It's not fair if we're doing all the work and getting all the laughs and we don't get the money for it! But how am I going to tell Sid and Stinky that? They won't take me seriously."

"I could tell them for you," Eugene offered, shrugging his shoulders. "They'll listen to me."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Harold agreed. "Thanks, Eugene." Harold's stomach rumbled. "I better go back to the dining room and get some food. We can talk about some skit ideas later."

"Sounds good," Eugene replied, waving his new friend off. Once Harold was around the corridor, Eugene placed his hands into his pockets. He could feel multiple bills tucked safely in there. He patted them down, simpering to himself, and headed back to the cabin to talk to Sid and Stinky.

* * *

A soft moan escaped from Rhonda as she stretched her arms across the bed. Never before had she slept so soundly. Thoughts of the previous night came pouring into her conscious and she couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

Curly had once again performed his erotic magic on Rhonda. Once he was finished satisfying her multiple times, she was left absolutely breathless. And yet, she wanted more. However, she knew part of the job was discretion, and it would be suspicious if the steward was not in his own cabin. He did promise to come in the morning after Rhonda had her tea to provide her with some more fun before going to breakfast.

"Good morning, miss- oh my goodness!" A startled Nadine greeted. She was carrying a tea tray that Rhonda requested before dismissing her to Lila's care for the night. "I apologize miss, I didn't realize you aren't decent."

"What are you blabbering about?" Rhonda commanded. Nadine merely motioned her head down, keeping her eyes focused directly on Rhonda's face. Rhonda looked down and saw what Nadine meant. Her chest was exposed. She had forgotten to put on her nightgown before going to sleep. Instantaneously she pulled the covers up to hide her exposed regions.

"I must have gone to sleep without putting them on," Rhonda chuckled nervously.

"Of course, miss," Nadine replied. She knew it was peculiar that Rhonda was not wearing her nightgown, especially since Nadine was the one who put it on her. But Nadine knew better than to ask Rhonda for the truth. The last thing she wanted was to be beaten by Rhonda when she was in the nude. "Here's your tea, miss." Nadine placed the tray on the table. Rhonda glared at her.

"Do you expect me to get up like this to grab the tea, or is it going to levitate over here?" Rhonda asked sarcastically.

"Sorry, miss," Nadine replied and prepared a cup for her employer. As she poured the tea, milk, and sugar, Nadine remembered the kindness Curly showed her yesterday. She smiled at how sweet he was. She hoped to see him again today at some point. His benevolence towards her has made Nadine a bit smitten.

"What are you smiling about?" Rhonda snarled. "Do you think this is funny?"

"No, miss," Nadine replied. She finished preparing the tea and handed the cup and saucer to Rhonda. "I was just thinking of a friend, is all."

"Like anyone would be friends with you," Rhonda snorted. She took a sip of her tea and pinched her face in disgust. "This is horrid! How can you not prepare a decent cup of tea?"

"I'm sorry, miss," Nadine whimpered. She was afraid this time she will be whipped.

Rhonda rolled her eyes. "I have no use for you right now. Go get Miss Sawyer dressed. She is spending the day with Mr. Shortman and she needs to look her best. So don't dare mess it up. Come back in an hour and help me get ready for breakfast."

"Yes, miss," Nadine curtsied and left the room. Rhonda glared at the disappointing tea and placed it on the nightstand next to her. She was in a foul mood when Curly knocked and entered the room.

"Miss Lloyd, I see you are still undressed," he smiled mischievously. "That will make things much easier."

"Not now, Curly," she huffed. "My poor excuse for a maid upset me this morning."

Curly came to the side of her bed. "May I ask what she did?"

"Do you see that cup of tea there?" She pointed to the nightstand. Curly nodded. "Taste it and tell me how horrible it is."

Curly took a sip, expecting it to be atrocious, but it tasted fine. In fact, it was one of the better cups he's ever had. He couldn't understand why Rhonda despised it so much, but it wasn't something he was willing to lose money over.

"Disgusting," he told her. He took out a couple of mints and handed one to her. "To take the taste away," he explained. "Do you feel better?"

"No," Rhonda shook her head, staring at him seductively. Curly grinned at her attempt to be coy.

"Well, my job is to make sure you are happy, and I won't leave until you are." He climbed on top of Rhonda and kissed her slowly on her lips. He soon created a trailed with his lips going to her jaw, then to her neck, her collarbone, her breasts- where he gave extra attention- and down her stomach. With each kiss, Rhonda soon forgot about her maid's lackluster performance. She looked down at the eager steward.

"What are you doing down there?" she asked, a bit nervous. Curly looked up, at her and smiled.

"You just relax and let my tongue do all the work."

Rhonda lied there confused about what was going on when she felt a surge of pleasure run through her body. She felt it in her fingers and toes as they curled up, unable to take such power. She let out a moan, indicating for him to continue. Knowing what he does to her, Rhonda was never going to let him go.

* * *

_Relax, Helga old girl. You're just going to discuss what to do about Phoebe and Gerald. That's all. This is not about you and him. This is not about you and him._

Helga repeated that line over and over in her head as she walked into the dining room. It took her all morning to gather the courage to meet with him. This was the first time they would be alone together that was planned ahead of time, and Helga wasn't sure if she would be able to stop herself and lunged at him the first opportunity.

She scanned the room to soon find Arnold at a table for two. She took a deep breath, and walked over to him. "Hey Football Head. You wanted to see me?"

Arnold stared at the beauty before him. She looked beautiful, especially in pink. It made a nice contrast to her sometimes brash attitude. Arnold made sure that the tablecloth was hiding a certain problem that was bound to grow. Only this time, he doesn't have the capability to take care of it.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Helga joked.

"Sorry, Helga," Arnold muttered and stared at the menu. A waiter came by and took their order. "I'm glad you came. I feel this is a serious matter that we need to discuss."

"I concur," Helga said, sipping her water. "What do you propose?"

_Why must you use that word?_ "I don't know about you, but I am happy they are together, and I don't want them to separate."

"So far, you and I are on the same pathway," Helga replied. "I'm glad Phoebe found happiness, although I'm not sure about Gerald himself. But that should not stop her if she wants to be with him."

"My thoughts exactly," Arnold said. "Although I adore Phoebe." _And you. _"My thought is they can be together privately, but only with a proper chaperone. I'm not so concerned about them in public together, but if they decide they want some alone time, I will feel better if you or myself were near them in order to prevent any shenanigans. We don't have to be in the same room as them, but close just in case."

Helga took it all in. It was a good idea, and she knew Phoebe and Gerald would appreciate some alone time since they had to remain professional throughout the rest of the ship. The only downside was she couldn't be with Arnold alone if the servants wanted some time to themselves. "It's a splendid idea," she half-lied. "I'm sure they will be thrilled to hear the news. I will make sure to tell Phoebe as soon as I'm done with my tour of the ship."

"You have a tour?" Arnold asked. "Who's taking you?"

"Mr. Andrews," Helga replied. "He was my only reprieve from dinner last night."

"Is it true you punched Brainy in the face?" Arnold asked with a slight grin.

Helga laughed anxiously. _Of course he heard about it!_ "Why would I do such a thing like that?"

"Helga…" Arnold dragged her name out, staring at her intently. He knew she would cave. She always did whenever he said her name like that.

"So what if I did?" Helga scoffed. "He annoyed me to no end and then stalked me when I left the table."

"He did what?" Arnold straightened up and had a cold look on his face.

"You heard me," she spoke softly. She had never seen Arnold like this before, and it frightened her, to say the least.

His eyes widened and his fists curled up. How dare this man, who barely knows Helga, follow her up to her room? It disgusted him, but he was proud that Helga took care of herself. He admired how independent she was when she was alone. At the same time, he wished he could have been there for her. He looked at the concerned young woman in front of him and began to cool down.

"I'm sorry for my reaction," Arnold said. "I just find it inappropriate that he behaved in such a way. I'm glad you were able to deal with him this time, but I'm concerned about you should this happen again."

_He's concerned about me?_ "I can take care of myself. He should have known better than to mess with Helga G. Pataki."

"I know you can," Arnold assured her, "but I would feel better knowing you had someone accompanying you around, just to be on the safe side."

_Oh my goodness. Is this going where I think it's going?_ "Do you have someone in mind?" she asked, subconsciously leaning in.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Arnold said, also leaning in. _It's now or never. _"Helga, there's something I need to tell you. I lo-"

"Arnold! There you are! I've been looking ever so long for you!" Both blondes internally groaned at the sound of the sickeningly sweet voice. The worry Arnold had earlier was most definitely no longer an issue.

"Hey, Lila," he muttered, straightening up, followed by Helga, who wore her scowl. "What are you doing here?"

"We have our walk on the promenade today, and I was oh so wondering if you would like to get an early start. And then we could sit on the deck and look at the Irish landscape. Wouldn't that be ever so wonderful?"

"Um, sure," Arnold said nervously. He hated being in this situation, and he hated his nice side. It seemed to get him into nothing but trouble.

"May I ask why are you sitting with Helga?" Lila inquired.

"We had some business to discuss," Helga explained, her eyes shooting daggers at Lila for ruining this.

"I'm ever so certain you were," she answered, trying to hold back the bitterness that was at the tip of her tongue. "Arnold, before we go, do you ever so mind if I talk to Helga for just a moment?"

"Um, no, not a problem." He got up from his chair. "I'll be right outside. I'll see you later, Helga."

Helga had no time to react before Lila glared at her and the sweetness disappeared from her face. "Stay away from Arnold," she threatened. "He's mine."

"Is that so?" Helga snorted. "Because the last time I checked, Arnold was a free man. He can do whatever he wants, and if he wants to talk to me, he can. And who's to say Arnold likes you back? The only reason he is going on this ridiculous walk with you is because he has a hard time saying no. And you know that and are taking advantage of it despite knowing he will never truly like you back."

"And you think you have a chance with him? A gentleman like Arnold will never go for a disgusting pig like you," Lila sneered. She leaned back into her chair, feeling that she won this round.

Helga wanted nothing more than to slap her across the face. Her fists began to tighten, but then she saw Arnold's face looking at them. Helga sighed internally, knowing that hitting Lila won't solve her problem. Helga's scowl and tense face slowly transformed into a relaxed smirk at the realization of what Lila said.

"Well, seeing that Arnold has a pet pig, it would appear he would prefer a pig to a bitch such as yourself," Helga proclaimed calmly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a tour of the ship and I don't want to be late." Helga stood up and left the table, leaving a stupefied, jaw-slacken Lila behind.


	7. Plotting and Scheming

**A/N: So much love for the last chapter! I'm glad to see so many enjoyed it. There will be plenty more battles between Helga and Lila, I can assure you. We're still about three and a half days away from striking the iceberg, so there is plenty of time for more drama, scandal, and romance.**

**I've been asked several times how I manage to update so quickly. It's very simple, really. I have way too much time on my hands, so I spend it writing. As for my writing technique, I have a basic plan for each chapter, and then I just go from there organically. And then at random times, I'll come up with a part that I want to include and develop a segment around that. An excellent example of that was everyone's favorite insult last chapter. I actually wrote that part first, and then the rest of the chapter came.**

**Okay, I've talked too much. On with the story!**

"What do you think they will decide?" Gerald asked a nervous Phoebe. The two servants were unable to eat that morning. Their employers' meeting was occurring, and both were anxious to receive the verdict of their newly developed relationship. Unable to wait any longer in the servant's dining room, the pair strolled back up to B deck to their respective staterooms. They knew it could be hours before their employers returned from their outings that morning, so doing some housekeeping would be able to distract them. At least, so they hoped.

"I'm not sure," Phoebe replied. "I doubt they would do anything too horrible. They're both so generous in their treatment of us that I have a difficult time seeing them keeping us apart."

"I have to confess, I'm worried about Miss Pataki," Gerald said. "I know you said she was kind, but I am unsure if she will be kind about me."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked as they ascended the staircase.

"She is kind to people she likes," Gerald explained. "But I see what she can do to people who she dislikes. I mean, she punched Brainy, whoever he is."

"He works for Mr. Wellington Lloyd," Phoebe said, "And she punched him because he stalked her after she left the dining room. From the way she talked about him, it was validated."

"Regardless, she can be… vicious," Gerald spoke carefully. "And I don't think I have landed on her good side. I think she dislikes me, and she has good reason. I haven't exactly been the nicest to her, and I have said some crude things about her, and I'm afraid she knows about it and will take her revenge by not letting me see you."

Phoebe looked at Gerald sympathetically and patted his hand. "I'm certain she wouldn't do that. Even if she does dislike you, her love for me is great. She would never hurt me."

"Are you certain about that?" Gerald asked.

"She should be," they heard behind them. Both Phoebe and Gerald jumped and spun around to see Helga standing behind them.

"Miss Pataki," both panicky servants greeted the blonde, each performing their gesture of respect.

"Don't worry," Helga assured. "I come bearing good news. Mr. Shortman and I discussed it, and we both agreed that we will not separate you. However, you will both be supervised whenever you want some alone time in one of the cabins. We will not be in the same room as you, but we will be close by to prevent any chances of you two… going too far again. Throughout the rest of the ship, you will maintain a sense of decorum. Do I make myself clear?"

Both cherry red servants nodded, pleased with the news. "Thank you, miss," Phoebe said. "Is there anything you need for me to do?"

"No, thank you," Helga replied. "I just need to fetch my jacket and I can do that myself. I didn't realize how chilly it would be this morning for my tour. Anyway, may I suggest you two walk around after you finish your chores? We will be approaching Ireland soon, and the landscape is magnificent. After luncheon, I will allow you two to spend some time together in Phoebe's room while I will be in the adjacent room."

"Yes, miss," Phoebe said. "Will you be going on the tour with Mr. Shortman?"

"No, I shall be going alone with Mr. Andrews," Helga answered. "Mr. Shortman has an outing with Miss Sawyer on the promenade this morning."

"Miss Sawyer?" Gerald inquired. "He's not fond of her whatsoever. I must say I'm quite surprised."

"Well, it shouldn't surprise you that he has a hard time saying no to people," Helga pointed out. Gerald half-smiled in agreement. "It's his fault that he keeps getting himself into these types of situations. He needs to learn to say no or else he is going to end up in trouble."

Helga wanted nothing more than to help Arnold avoid being with Lila that morning, especially after the way Lila spoke to her after breakfast. However, it was not her place to intrude. If Arnold was ever going to learn to say no to Lila, he needed to do it himself. She just hoped he would learn to do it soon. While it irked her that Arnold was spending time with Lila instead of her, she could at least take comfort in knowing that he was not going to enjoy it.

"Well, thank you and Mr. Shortman for allowing us to see each other," Phoebe said. "We are very appreciative of you doing this for us."

"I'm happy to help. Both of you." Helga looked at Gerald when she said it. He smiled sheepishly as she walked away from them and headed to her stateroom. Phoebe and Gerald looked at each other.

"Just what we need," Gerald muttered, rolling his eyes. "Two nannies."

"It won't be so bad Gerald," Phoebe assured her love. "At least we will be able to be together. And we would have some privacy."

"I know," Gerald half-smiled. "But they will be listening to what we have to say. They could come in at any time in our conversations. It would make it difficult for us to plan how to get them together."

Phoebe's eyes lit up. "Or they could be listening to what we want them to hear and make it easy for them to realize they belong together," she whispered so only the both of them could hear it.

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Upon further inspection of her, Gerald could see the cogs in Phoebe's brain turning at a rapid pace. "Something tells me you have a plan in mind," Gerald observed.

"Indeed I do," she smiled widely. "Another way to try and get them together. Let's hope there are no more slip ups."

* * *

Nadine didn't want to return to the cabins after breakfast. She knew what awaited for her once she did. An endless day of chores such as cleaning the rooms and hand washing their clothes. She knew they would never meet their specifications, more particularly Rhonda's. Lila wouldn't know the difference. Her ideas of domestic duties were making sure the blankets were on top of the bed- it didn't matter if it was in an organized fashion- and that no hair was out of place on the top of her head. Nadine couldn't help but chuckle at Lila's façade.

"Good morning, Nadine," a male voice greeted her. She lifted her head to see Curly stand before her.

"Good morning, Curly," Nadine smiled. "How are you this morning?"

"It was a bit… tongue tying," Curly admitted, trying not to laugh at his double entendre, "but I made it through. I have been known to be a cunning linguist."

"That's fascinating," Nadine replied. "How many languages do you know?"

Curly laughed at her innocence to not be able to pick up what he was saying. "Several," he said. It was true, however. He had to learn languages from his various travels. "I was in the Navy before I became a steward for White Star Line, and I had to learn many languages so I could communicate with different ports."

"You become more and more amazing every time I meet you," she said in awe. Her smile grew wider. She could feel some feelings towards Curly ever since they first met. As she got to know him, he became more intriguing to her, and she desired to know more. Curly smiled back at her.

"You have a beautiful smile," Curly complimented her, causing her to blush. "Am I right to assume you had a pleasant morning?"

"Not exactly," Nadine said, her smile changing into a frown. "My mistress was unhappy with my performance this morning. I was scared she was going to beat me right then and there."

"But she didn't," Curly clarified. Nadine nodded.

"No, not today. Honestly, I think she was distracted with something. She acted so… peculiar."

"How so?" Curly asked her, concerned for Nadine. He didn't want to see her get hurt. "If you can't give me details, I understand. We don't need to be spreading gossip. It is not our position to do so."

Nadine chuckled. "I'd rather not go into much detail, but I know she was hiding something," she explained. "I didn't want to question her, for fear she would yell at me. But then, I became distracted when I was preparing her breakfast and I somehow ruined it. I don't know what I did wrong. I made it to her exact specifications and she hated it." Nadine frowned and looked at Curly. "I fear I can never do anything right for her. No matter how hard I try, she is never happy. In a way, I feel sorry for her."

Curly shook his head. "You shouldn't feel sorry for someone who behaves that way," he told her. "But then again, you're such a good person. I have a feeling it would be difficult for you to truly dislike someone, even your employer."

Nadine shrugged. "I'm not really fond of her traveling companion, to tell you the truth."

"Is that so?" Curly smirked. "Enlighten me of what is so horrible about this companion of hers."

Nadine giggled. "I really shouldn't," she said. "At least, not here. I don't want someone to overhear and tell on me."

Curly looked around. "Is there somewhere we can go to talk about it?"

"My mistress' companion's room is nearby," Nadine suggested. "And she'll be out for the morning. We can talk there while I clean the room. I'm behind on my chores as it is."

"Show me the way." Nadine smiled as she headed to Lila's room.

* * *

Eugene came back into the cabin to see both Sid and Stinky still laughing about Harold's morning and his crush on the butch Patty.

"Still laughing, I see," Eugene said.

"You have to admit, it's pretty funny," Sid said, his laughter slowly fading as he realized Eugene had left the room momentarily. "What were you doing anyway?"

"I was just checking on him," Eugene explained. "He's pretty mad for us laughing."

"He'll get over it," Stinky shrugged off. "He always does. He knows we were just messing around with him. He'll go to the dining room, eat some food, and then he will come back and everything will be fine. By tonight, it will be forgotten."

"I don't know," Eugene said, shrugging his shoulders. "When I was talking to him, he was enraged. And then he started talking about the skits and money."

"What about the money?" Sid asked as he crossed his arms. "He stole it!"

"I do admit, that does make it harder to forget everything," Stinky said. "All he needs to do is give it back."

"First off, he insisted he didn't have it, but I don't know if I believe him," Eugene continued. As he went to sit on his bed, he missed it entirely and fell onto the floor. "I'm okay," he said. He picked himself back up and dusted himself off.

"What about the skit?" Sid asked impatiently. He had started to grow tired of Eugene tripping and falling all the time. He wondered how it was possible for one person to have so many accidents.

"Right, sorry," Eugene muttered. "Anyways, he went on ranting about how he got some of the biggest laughs last night so he said he deserves to get more of the money."

"He said what?" Stinky asked. "I'm confused."

"Basically, he believes that the money should be divided according to the success of the skit and not into quarters like we originally agreed upon. And since he had some of the bigger laughs last night, he should be getting more of the money."

Sid and Stinky looked at Eugene with disgusted looks on their faces. "I don't believe this," Sid scoffed. "He claims he doesn't have the money, and yet he wants more of it! What does he plan to do? Hold the money we made at ransom unless we agree to his terms?"

"I'm not sure," Eugene said, frowning. "I'm concerned about this. I mean, I joined because I was guaranteed a quarter of the profits."

Sid thought for a moment. "How about a third instead for the remainder of the voyage?" Sid offered. Eugene's eyes lit up, interested in what Sid was about to say. "Harold can keep the twenty dollars. Everything else, we will split between the three of us. He is not to know, and we will make sure to hide the money where he can't find it. Agreed?"

"I don't know about this, Sid," Stinky said cautiously. "Harold's our friend. We were supposed to go to America and start a new life together in California."

"He stole from us," Sid pointed out. "He's not exactly being a friend."

Stinky sighed. "I reckon you're right. Agreed."

"Eugene?" Sid asked.

"I agree as well. We don't need for him to keep stealing from us." The other two nodded and turned their focus to discuss where they should hide the money. What they didn't see was Eugene smiling deceitfully to himself.

* * *

"I do apologize for this weather, young Helga," Mr. Andrews said to the young blonde in his Irish accent. "I didn't realize how chilly it would be out here."

They were halfway through their tour of the ship when they needed to go outside to approach the bridge. The winds were piercing that morning, stinging their exposed skin.

"It's quite all right," he answered, sniffing her nose. Mr. Andrews offered her his handkerchief. She thanked him and cleared her nose. "I promise I am enjoying myself. I never knew so much about a ship before. What can you tell me about the lifeboats?"

"We have sixteen, plus four collapsible," Mr. Andrews informed the curious blonde. "Each could around sixty-five people."

"Is that enough for everyone on board?" Helga asked, trying to do the calculation in her head. Math was not her strong suit. She always left the calculations to Phoebe.

"For about half, to be honest," he admitted.

Helga looked at him in confusion. Only half? That doesn't make sense. "Is that allowed? It doesn't appear to be the smartest of moves."

"We are following requirements of the maritime safety regulations," Mr. Andrews said. "I shouldn't be saying this, but the White Star Line wanted fewer boats. They thought it would obstruct the exterior views for passengers."

"They wanted less for aesthetic reasons?" Helga scoffed. She always wondered about the intellect of those in high society, but now she knew White Star Line was run by idiots. She could remember the night before hearing Mr. Ismay talking only about the size of Titanic and how the papers called it unsinkable. He was only concerned about image. "It sounds completely illogical."

"I agree with you," Mr. Andrews informed her. "Unfortunately, I was overruled. I must admit, Helga, you are quite an interesting young woman. You seem to be more interested in knowing about the world, while some other young ladies your age find more intrigue in gossip and dresses."

Helga smiled. She was pleased to know that she was appreciated for her strong willed mind. Hopefully, a certain someone else thought the same way.

"I really don't care to know what goes on in other people's lives if they are not willing to share," Helga commented. "And a dress is just a piece of clothing. It's a necessity, and I see no substance in talking about them."

"Impressive young woman you are," Mr. Andrews said. "I'm surprised you don't have many suitors following you around."

Helga chuckled, for she didn't want a plethora of suitors. Just one would suffice. The right one. "I believe I intimidate them," she explained. "They don't know what to do with me."

"Well, I believe the right man will come along. Just you wait." They glanced forward to see a man and a woman heading their way. Helga could tell who they were by the color of their hair that was partially hidden by their hats. The woman had her arm linked around the man's. Helga had to force herself to not scowl at the sight. "I see we aren't the only ones who are insane enough to be out in this weather. Mr. Shortman, Miss Sawyer, lovely to see you out here."

"Oh so lovely indeed," Lila said in her annoyingly sweet voice. Helga swore she was going to be sick if she had to continue to listen to it.

"Helga," Arnold greeted his secret love. "How are you enjoying your tour?"

"It's been splendid," she replied. "Mr. Andrews has been kind enough to show me the galley, the boiler rooms, and the cargo rooms. We were just heading to the bridge when we began discussing the lifeboats."

"While I think it is oh so nice to have the lifeboats," Lila said, "it makes it ever so difficult to see the ocean. I'm ever so afraid that we won't be able to get a good view of the Irish coast as we approach."

Somehow Helga and Mr. Andrews managed to keep straight faces at Lila's complaints. Helga decided change focus. "How are you enjoying your walk, Arnold?"

"I must say, it has been very cold." Arnold looked at Helga in desperation. Helga could easily see that he was not enjoying his time with Lila and wanted Helga to do something. All she did was smile sympathetically as a form of apology.

"You are being ever so silly, Arnold," Lila chimed in, clutching tighter to his arm and smirking at Helga. "It isn't so bad."

"Well, I've had enough of it," Helga declared. "Mr. Andrews, why don't we head to the bridge now? I would to see Captain Smith in action." The two pairs bid their goodbyes and went in opposite directions.

"Is it just me, or did it seem that Arnold was not enjoying Lila's company?" Mr. Andrews asked. Helga chuckled.

"He isn't," she informed the designer. "I almost feel sorry for him, but then I remember he was the one who got himself into this mess. He has a difficult time saying no to people, and now he's suffering the consequences because of it."

"I see," Mr. Andrews said reflectively. "Giving him some tough love?"

"Something like that." As the two continued towards the bridge, she wondered what he meant by that phrase. But she was more curious about the recent interaction with Lila. Helga knew Lila was holding onto Arnold that way to try and make her jealous. Of course, Helga knew the truth. _Keep trying, Lila, but you won't get him. Nothing you can say will make him choose you over me._

* * *

Arnold was disappointed in Helga's decision to not help him. She knew how he felt about Lila, and yet she doesn't come to his rescue. For hours he was stuck listening to Lila's mindless droning about who knows what. He blocked her out within the first five minutes of their walk. He knew something happened between Helga and Lila this morning. He wanted to know what, but Lila refused to give him a chance to speak.

"Arnold?" Lila asked. Arnold broke out of his daze and looked at Lila. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh, no," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I apologize."

"Well, now I ever so fear I should tell you," she said softly. "At the same time, this is a person who sits with us at dinner."

"What are you talking about?" Arnold asked, for the first time interested in what Lila had to say.

"Helga," Lila stated. "It's ever so horrible, but I heard she has a lover in Germany who is a spy in the British government."

"What?" Arnold shrieked. "Helga wouldn't! Where did you hear that?"

"From Nadine," Lila whimpered. "She said Phoebe told her and made her promise absolute secrecy. Luckily, Nadine was smart enough to let me and Rhonda know. Now we know better than to tell her any secrets."

Arnold shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be," he stated. "She would never do that. She's a good person and a good judge of character."

"I thought the same way too, Arnold, but who knows what she's really like. She's ever so secretive. I've seen her always writing, but refuses to let anyone see. It seems ever so suspicious. Have I ever lied to you or made you think I'm not saying the truth?"

Arnold thought for a moment. While it is true Lila bored him, she never lied to him about anything. And he has seen Helga write before. She would always cover it up when someone was around. He had asked before what she was writing, and she nearly chewed him to bits about it. It all seemed odd, but he wasn't so sure.

"I think I'm going to call it a day, Lila," he muttered. "I need to think things over."

"Of course. I'm oh so sure I'll see you later." As Arnold went back inside, Lila gazed out to the sea. Her grin widened in approval as the Irish coast started to come into view. "Take that, Helga."


	8. Words of Wisdom

**A/N: I continue to be amazed at how quickly this growing I popularity. Thank you all who read it and I hope you continue to stick around. I'm going to be very busy this week with work and a meeting. I will try my hardest to get a chapter out at least within 48 hours, but I can't guarantee it. I know you love it when I update quickly and I will try my best to do that.**

Arnold passed through the crowd that had gathered by the windows to gaze upon their arrival of the Irish coast of Queenstown. At that point, Arnold didn't care. The words that Lila had just spoke haunted his mind. How could Helga have a secret, German spy lover? None of it made sense. But still, Arnold knew he had to investigate. He hurried to his room, in hopes that Gerald would be there. It just so happened, he was.

"Gerald, I need to you tell me something," he said sternly. He held onto the back of a chair for support. This wasn't going to be easy.

"O-of course," Gerald stuttered, surprised by his employer's unusual behavior. "What is it?"

Arnold sighed, trying to find the courage to say the words. "Has Phoebe ever mention Helga being with a man? Or liking a man?"

Gerald eyed him, unsure of where this was going. "There was some mention that Miss Pataki has feelings for someone in particular, although Miss Pataki had never come out and officially declared it. Phoebe has had strong suspicions and I was asked to keep it private."

Arnold's heart sunk. So what Lila said was true. Helga has a lover. Arnold gripped the back of the chair tightly and lowered his head. It hurt too much to accept. Gerald had never seen him like this before. Arnold was always so happy and positive. The person before Gerald was not the Arnold he knew and worked for.

"Is everything all right, Arnold?" Gerald asked. "You seem pretty distraught. And why did you want to know if Miss Pataki had mentioned another man?"

"I don't know if I should talk about it," Arnold mumbled. "Do you think it's too early for a scotch?"

"I believe so," Gerald replied, sitting in the chair next to Arnold. "Come on, sit down and tell me what happened. Holding it in isn't going to help."

Arnold pursed his lips. Despite not wanting to say these words, Gerald was right. He slumped into his seat and held his head between his hands. "I had my walk with Lila this morning."

"Well, that explains the distress," Gerald snorted. Arnold glared at him. "Sorry. Go on."

"We ran into Helga and Mr. Andrews on the boat deck. I looked at Helga to help me get out of it, but she didn't. I was upset about that when Lila mentioned something. I didn't hear the first time but then she repeated it."

"What did Miss Sawyer say?"

Arnold closed his eyes, wishing he didn't have to say this. "She said that Helga has a secret lover from Germany. Apparently he is a spy in the British government."

Gerald stared at Arnold before bursting into laughter. Arnold opened his eyes to see his valet laughing uncontrollably. "How is that funny?" Arnold asked, rather perturbed.

"Because…" Gerald chortled, "this is Helga Pataki you're talking about!"

"I'm well aware of that Gerald," Arnold pointed out. "What I fail to see is the humor behind this."

"That you would even think for one moment that someone like Helga Pataki would do something like that," Gerald said. "I mean, yes she can be cruel at times, but she wouldn't have an affair with a German spy. She's too smart to do something so ludicrous. It makes absolutely no sense."

"What's making absolutely no sense right now is that you're defending her," Arnold said. "Just yesterday you were saying some rather unpleasant things about her. What changed?"

"The biggest thing being Helga is supportive of mine and Phoebe's new relationship," Gerald said. "And Phoebe has told me such wonderful things about her. I am able to see her beyond the bitterness."

"How do you know if Phoebe is telling the truth?" Arnold questioned, still not fully convinced the story is false.

"I trust her," Gerald stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And frankly, I'm surprised that you don't trust Helga. You've always come to her aid before when someone has ever said anything bad about her, myself included. And now because one person- a person you're not too fond of, by the way- says something about her, you're willing to forget all the goodness you've said about Helga. If you're that gullible, then I have nothing but sympathy for her. She deserves a lot better."

Arnold sat there, feeling like the biggest idiot on earth. He let an outrageous rumor doubt all he knows about Helga. There was just one thing Arnold didn't understand. "Why would Lila say something like that about Helga? I don't understand."

Gerald looked at Arnold with pity. _How is he this dense? _"It's obvious Lila likes you. She's just saying things to make herself look better in your eyes. All it's doing is making herself look foolish."

"I think I'm the fool in this situation, Gerald," Arnold sighed as he leaned back into his chair. Guilt started to take shape in him. "I can't believe I even entertained the thought. I do know Helga better than that." Arnold's eyes widened as he just realized something. "You said that Helga admires someone?"

_Apparently he's not as dense as previously thought._ "Did I?" Gerald asked nervously. "I don't remember that."

"Who is he?" Arnold insisted. "Who does she like?"

_No use denying it. _"Even if I did want to tell you, I can't," Gerald explained. "Like I said, I promised not to tell."

Arnold frowned. Now he had a new worry. Helga admires someone. There is someone who has captured her heart. He had no idea who it could be, but already he disliked this man. Gerald thought this might be the chance he could finally get Arnold to admit that he likes Helga once and for all.

"Why do you care so much?" Gerald wondered.

Arnold bit his bottom lip. Even though Gerald had changed his mind about Helga, Arnold was still not ready to say anything about it.

"No reason," he said softly. He stood from his chair and headed towards the door. "I need to do something. I'll be back later." Arnold left before Gerald could say anything.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm," Gerald muttered has he shook his head. "I have a stubborn ass for an employer."

* * *

After the wondrous morning Rhonda had encounter with Curly, she decided to enjoy a late morning of pampering. She ran into Lila after her "successful" walk with Arnold and the two ventured on down to F deck to the Turkish baths. After paying a dollar each for the service, they decided to use the hot room, for Rhonda will not allowed her hair to be ruined by humidity in the steam room.

The baths looked as if they belonged in one of the houses on a moor. The walls were lined with blue and green tiles. Arab-style lamps hung from the walls. The portholes were covered with a finely carved Cairo curtain. It was pure elegance, and for once, Rhonda had nothing negative to say.

"How did your walk with Arnold go?" Rhonda asked after settling in her chair.

"It was ever so wonderful!" Lila gleamed. "With the exception of running into it near the end."

"I'm assuming you took care of that minor hiccup," Rhonda giggled, closing her eyes. She could still feel Curly's tongue hitting a particular spot that made her spasm. Her bottom lip quivered from the strong memory.

"I oh so did," Lila smirked. "I made its reputation to Arnold appear worse."

"Do tell," Rhonda said in a low voice. It was almost seductive, but Lila mistook it as Rhonda relaxing.

"I told Arnold that its maid, Phoebe I believe, told Nadine that it has a secret lover who happens to be a German spy in the British government." Lila settled in her chair, quite proud of her ability to improvise.

Rhonda's eyelids stretched as far away as possible. She sat up in her chair, staring at Lila. The pleasure she was feeling mere moments ago were long gone. "_That _was your brilliant plan?" she asked, her mouth agape.

"Yes," Lila replied slowly. "Is something ever so wrong about it?"

Rhonda scoffed. "What _isn't _wrong about it? Arnold would never believe that!"

"He was pretty upset after I told him," Lila remarked proudly. She can't see what Rhonda was so worked up about. In Lila's mind, it was ingenious.

"What did he do after you told him?" Rhonda asked.

"He said he couldn't believe it and then said he had to go," Lila stated. Rhonda groaned so loudly it echoed through the entire room. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Are you kidding me? He probably went to investigate. He could have asked his valet for any information. He could also go to Phoebe, Nadine, or Helga herself. Once the truth comes out, it's going to look bad on you, not Helga. She's going to look like the victim in this."

"Like that thing could ever look like a victim," Lila scoffed. "She's ever so vile."

"Are you listening to yourself? You sound absolutely ridiculous!" Rhonda had to get up and walk around. The heat was beginning to get to her. "I swear, you can be as dumb as Nadine."

Lila fumbled with her hands. She was slowing comprehending the ramifications of her words, and it was making her nervous of what Arnold might think. "How do I get out of this?" she wondered.

"I have no idea," Rhonda admitted. "You blindly placed yourself in a difficult situation. We need to figure out how to get you out of it." Rhonda pondered a thought for a moment before deciding to speak it. "Do you think you will be able to profess your love to Arnold?"

"I believe so," Lila thought. "Why?"

"Because you're going to do what Helga simply can't do," Rhonda smirked. "You're going to tell Arnold how you feel about him. And it's going to be right in front of her."

* * *

Harold was still fuming after the fight with Sid and Stinky. Food wasn't acting much of a comfort, so he decided to go on the top deck and look at the Irish landscape. He didn't realize how chilly it was, and he didn't bring his overcoat. He didn't really care about the temperature. His mind was still in a daze from what happened. How could they act that way? They were supposed to be his friends.

"You must be freezing," he heard behind him. Harold spun around to see Patty standing in front of him. For once, she was talking to him and he didn't have to be on the ground withering in pain. "Are you feeling better from last night and this morning?"

Harold looked at her confusion, but then understood what she meant. "Um, physically, I'm doing better," he answered slowly, surprised he was able to talk to her. "But overall, I'm not happy."

Patty sat down on a bench that faced the ocean and Ireland. "Do you want to tell me what happened? I've been told I'm a good listener."

Harold sat down next to her and somehow managed to spill everything that happened since they last saw each other. He told her about the accusation of him stealing money by his friends and them making fun of him. He conveniently left out the part where Harold proclaimed his love for Patty. Instead, he said they made fun of him because he had to act like an idiot to get a girl to notice him. Then he mentioned Eugene coming and sympathizing with him, and the plan they conspired together.

Patty sat there quietly for the entire story. She listened to every word carefully. When Harold was finished, Patty took a moment to think about the situation before speaking.

"That is quite a story," she said. "I can see why you would be angry. I would too if my friends acted like that to me."

"We were supposed to go to California together," Harold reflected. "We were going to go where the moving pictures were made and become famous."

"That's quite the ambition," Patty said. "What strikes me odd is that you are all such good friends, and yet they automatically assume you stole the money. If they were your real friends, they wouldn't be so quick to point the finger at you."

"I'm confused," Harold said. "What are you saying?"

"What I'm implying is one of two things. The first is they were never your real friends and you'll be better off without them in your lives. The second is someone must have given them the idea that you stole it and persuaded it to no end."

"Who would do that? I can't think of anyone who dislikes me so much," Harold said.

"What about your other roommate?" Patty asked. "The one that wasn't with you before you started sailing?"

"Eugene?" Harold laughed a little at the thought. "I highly doubt it. He may be clumsy, but he isn't a thief. He's just so nice to everyone. And he comforted me after arguing with everyone."

"Well, someone could have come into your room and take the money," Patty mentioned. "Or it could simply be misplaced. But the way they acted was peculiar. If I were you, I would be wary of everyone around me." She patted his thigh and stood back up. "I must be getting back to work. Just think about what I said."

She left Harold on the bench in the frigid cold. He had meant to think about what they talked about, but all Harold could think about was her hand on his thigh.

* * *

"So you mean to tell me that a dairy farm girl is pretending to be nobility, dressing up in fancy dresses and barking orders at everyone?"

Curly and Nadine were in Lila's room. Curly assisted Nadine in the cleaning. Being a former member of the Navy, he knew a great deal of personal and domestic upkeep. Nadine had just finished telling the story of Lila Sawyer, and Curly was thoroughly entertained from the tale.

"She doesn't necessarily bark orders," Nadine pointed out. "Her voice to too sweet to bark. But her conversations are so droll. I swear she makes the cows fall asleep from boredom."

Curly laughed at the joke, although it's possible that it could be true from what Nadine mentioned. "How is it she hasn't been discovered?" Curly asked. "I'm sure that would be scandalous in the land of nobility."

"Precisely why they don't mention it," Nadine said. "My mistress and her farmhand don't want a scandal to their names. And it so happens that the girl believes she's in love with another passenger on this ship, and the two of them have been conspiring to get her with him. Sadly, it's obvious he has feelings for another girl who my mistress absolutely despises. And those two for some reason refuse to admit their feeling for one another."

"How complicated," Curly chuckled. "So I'm correct in assuming this man is rich?"

Nadine nodded. "He is heir to several hotels in major cities, along with owning some boarding houses. A good marriage pursuit for someone like her, although she'll never get him. It's both funny and sad."

"What about you?" Curly asked. "What are your pursuits?"

Nadine clicked her teeth. "That is a good question," she pondered. "I never really thought of it. I've spent most of my life trying just survive. I never had the luxury to think about what I wanted."

"What about now?" Curly asked. "Don't you have time now?"

"Not really," the maid admitted. "I'm usually trying to not mess up my job."

"Why do you torture yourself?" Curly finally asked her. He'd been wanting to ask her that from the moment they met. "Why stay when it makes you miserable?"

"It's not that easy," Nadine argued.

"Yes it is," Curly assured. "When you arrive to New York, quit your job and find something new. America is the land of opportunity. Take advantage of it. There are so many things you could do. You just need to believe that you can do it. Being a maid may not be what you're meant to do, and that is perfectly fine. Go out and find it."

Nadine said nothing, but merely nodded. _I think I found it, and it's right in front of me._

* * *

Arnold knew exactly where to find her. He dashed up the stairs to A deck. There she was, sitting in the Reading and Writing Room, writing furiously on sheets of paper. He had to tell her, and he was dreading every moment. Cautiously, he entered the room.

"Um, Helga?" he called softly. Helga looked up from writing and scrambled to hide the papers.

"What do you want, Football Head?" she asked playfully. She had a pleasant morning with Mr. Andrews and the tour. They were able to finish up in time for Helga to come into the room and gaze at the Irish coast. She was inspired by the sight before her and wanted to make sure she never forgot it.

The look upon Arnold's face caused her to be concerned. "Arnold?" she said softly. "Is everything all right?"

Arnold shook his head and took a seat next to her. "First off, I owe you the biggest apology in the world."

Helga's face contorted into confusion. "An apology for what?"

"For allowing someone to persuade me that you are not what you seem."

At that point, Helga was growing impatient by his lack of directness. "Just tell me what is going on, Football Head. I'm getting old here!"

Arnold took a deep breath and finally spoke. "After running into you earlier, Lila told me something that was disturbing."

Helga crossed her arms. "Something about me, I assume?" Arnold nodded guiltily. Helga was trying her hardest to remain calm about the entire situation. "Before we even go into what she said, you actually believed her? I thought it was obvious we do not like each other. She would say something horrible just out of spite."

"I realize that now," Arnold argued. "But it's no excuse. I shouldn't have believed her from the start. There was just some things she said that made me think you were hiding something from me."

_Does he know?_ Helga bit her bottom lip for fear that he finally figured out her secret. "What did she say to make you think I'm hiding something? Why would I be hiding something?" Helga asked.

"Well, I don't know why you would hide anything," Arnold said, "but there is the fact you won't tell me what you write about. Just when I came in, you were in a rush to hide a bunch of papers."

Helga looked down at the pile hidden beneath her hands. "They're personal," Helga whispered. "I don't let anyone see them. Did Lila think I was hiding them for a certain purpose?"

"Well…" Arnold began. "She thinks they're letters to someone."

_She's not that far off._ "Did she specify who?" Helga nervously asked, fanning herself to prevent her cheeks from turning red.

"She said to your German lover who is a spy in the British government," Arnold confessed. He sat there waiting for Helga to explode. He expected her to start yelling at him and punching him in the face like she did with Brainy.

Instead, Helga laughed in the same manner Gerald did when Arnold told him the gossip. She covered her face and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Arnold didn't know what to think about her reaction.

"Um, Helga?" he repeated.

"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly. "But that rumor is so funny! Like I would ever be with a German spy!"

"You're not mad?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm not happy about it," Helga said as she started to catch her breath. "I don't like she's spreading rumors about me. Why she is, I have no idea. I haven't done anything specifically to her, except call her a bitch."

"You did what?!" Arnold exclaimed. "Helga, I'm shocked. You know better!"

"Oh relax, Football Head," she replied. "It was in retaliation. She called me a pig after I refused to stay away from you. She claimed that you belong to her."

Arnold sat there dumbfounded. He was shocked that Lila would behave that way. Of course, now that he knew she lied to him, it completely changes his perspective of her. "I never want to be stuck with that lunatic ever again."

"Lunatic?" Helga asked. "My, my, look at Arnold being bold." She smirked at him.

"Very funny," Arnold replied sarcastically. "But jokes aside, I now can't be anywhere near her. I fear for my sanity."

"Only you can prevent that," Helga pointed out. "All you have to do is say no."

Arnold chuckled. "You say it like it's so easy. You know how I am."

"Sadly, I do," she replied. "But you can't please everyone. And she'll do nothing but take advantage of you. So I suggest you figure out a way to tell her to go away, or at least avoid her. Because it looks like she won't stop if you keep leading her on with saying only yes to her. Do you know anything about her?"

Arnold thought for a moment about what she said. He thought of all the conversations he's had with Lila. Nothing about her came to mind. "Actually, I don't," he declared. "I don't think she has ever said anything about her life, which is surprising with the amount she talks."

"I wonder why that is," Helga wondered. "What is she trying to hide?"

"I don't know. And to be honest, I don't think I want to know. I want nothing to do with her." He paused for a moment, and decided this was the chance to see if she'll say who she likes. "Helga?"

"Yes?" she answered, looking at him.

"I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. I promise to not judge you for what you have to say, no matter how embarrassing it is."

Helga blushed slightly. She knew something was going on, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She feared that Arnold knew her secret, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She wasn't ready at that moment, but she knew she would be ready soon.


	9. Who is She?

**A/N: Don't ask me how this is possible. I still don't know for certain myself. Somehow I managed to get this chapter done quickly. But here it is, and I hope you all enjoy.**

Harold calmed down after his talk with Patty up on the boat deck. His never ending hunger had come back and decided to head to the saloon to eat. As he sat down to eat, he noticed someone was sitting in front of him. He looked up to see Patty.

"You're back," he gasped. The food that was on his fork fell back onto his plate.

Patty smiled. "You sound so surprised to see me."

Harold nodded. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon," he admitted. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"I am," she explained. "I supervise the saloon. But enough about me. I'm curious about your friends."

"My friends?" Harold asked her. It made no sense to him. "What do you want to know about them?"

"Are there any particular quirks about them?" she asked Harold. Now he was even more confused.

"Why do you want to know about their quirks? I don't understand. I'm so confused!" hue whined.

"Don't worry about why I want to know," Patty said. "There is good reason. I'm just trying to help you, is all."

"Oh," Harold muttered. He still had no idea why she wanted to know about Sid and Stinky, but if it was to help him, he didn't see the harm in it. "Let me think for a moment." What made each of them eccentric?

"Stinky is fond of lemon pudding," he admitted. "He could eat it all day. And he also likes the ladies. He believes he's Don Juan, though he hasn't had much luck on the ship."

"Interesting," Patty muttered. "What about the other one?"

"Sid? He is quite superstitious. At one point, he thought Stinky was a vampire."

Patty laughed at his remark. "Is there anything else about him?"

Harold thought back to when they first boarded the ship. "He hates germs. He doesn't think we know this, but he has to shower at least three times per day."

"A bit excessive, isn't he?" Patty chuckled. "And just out of curiosity, which bunks do they sleep in at night?"

"They both sleep on the right side of the cabin," Harold said slowly as he eyed her. "Sid in the top bunk with while Stinky is on the bottom."

"Good to know," she spoke softly to herself, then turned her attention back to Harold. "Well, thank you for sharing that with me. I must now go and inspect the rest of the room." She got up and left before Harold could say another word. He sat there in a dumbfounded state as his food had gotten cold. _What just happened? Why did she want to know all of that? And how is it going to help me?_ He got up and left the room, once again without eating.

* * *

"There's something odd about her," Helga told Phoebe. The ship had left Ireland and began to sail for New York. At Arnold's statement about him being there for her to talk about anything, she merely thanked him and left. She returned to her stateroom to change her dress for tea. As Phoebe helped her, Helga told her what Lila said about her. "I just know it."

"What exactly is odd about her?" Phoebe asked as she pulled several hats for Helga to wear.

"She doesn't mention anything about her past," Helga told her, picking the purple hat in Phoebe's left hand. Phoebe placed the other hat on the bed and placed the picked one on Helga's head. "It's strange because she talks so much but nothing is known about her. I know nothing about her family or her background. I don't even know how she knows Rhonda."

"Has anyone ever asked her?" Phoebe asked.

Helga's eyes lit up. "Phoebe, that's genius!" She spun around in her vanity chair to look at her friend. "No one has ever paid attention long enough to even ask her questions. Nor has she ever given a person the chance to do so." She stood up and paced around. "We need someone to try and ask her questions about her life. Maybe then we can figure something out! What would I do without you, Phoebe?"

"I'm certain I do not know," Phoebe admitted, blushing softly. "And I'm happy to help in any way I can."

Helga thought for moment. "Maybe you can see if you can get some information from Nadine? She's around them an awful lot. She must know something."

"I can certainly try," Phoebe replied. "It may take a while since I have to try and gain her trust, but I'll do my best. And I can see if Gerald can help as well."

"Thank you, Phoebe," Helga said. She looked in the mirror for one last look. "Perfect. Now I'm off to tea with a lady I met who boarded last night"

"Who is she?" Phoebe inquired.

"Her name is Margaret Brown," Helga informed her. "But she asked that I call her Maggie. Apparently a lot of people call her that. Her husband found gold out west. She lives in Denver."

"How did you meet her?" Phoebe grabbed a pair of gloves and placed Helga's hands through them.

"On my way back here, I met her in the hallway," Helga explained. "She thought it was funny that I punched Brainy. And when I told her why I did it, she said she would have done the same thing. Then she invited me to tea, and I graciously accepted." She headed towards the door.

"I must say I'm impressed," Phoebe replied. Helga was about to leave when Phoebe thought about something important. "She sounds like a great lady. Helga, before you go, may I ask something?"

"Of course," Helga said. "What is it?"

"There's something in this plan that I overlooked. How are you going to persuade Miss Sawyer to tell you anything? She certainly doesn't trust you, so anything she says will be false. Or she would ignore your question entirely."

Helga thought for a second and smiled. "She may not tell me anything, but there is someone who she would be willing to do anything for, including say who she is. It is all just a matter of persuasion."

* * *

Sid and Stinky made their way to the dining saloon, in hopes that Harold was not there. They were outraged to find out Harold wanted more money, and they didn't want to talk to him just yet. They would have avoided the saloon all together, but they were both hungry. Reluctantly, they made their way over. They sighed in relief to see he was nowhere in sight.

They sat at a table and received their food. They spent their meal time discussing what they want to do for their act that night.

"Are you all enjoying yourselves?" someone asked them. They looked up to see Harold's crush standing next to them. "You were the ones who performed last night with Harold, right?"

They both nodded, unsure of what to say. This was the woman they were making fun of hours ago, and they didn't know if Harold told her or not. Although, if she knew, they doubt she would be talking to them.

"Well, I just wanted to say you were amazing last night," Patty said. "Will you be performing again tonight?"

"We sure will," Stinky spoke, finally founding his voice. "Will you be watching us?"

"Absolutely," she said. "Have either of you seen Harold recently? I wanted to check on him and see if he was feeling better from his accident this morning."

"I'm sorry, but we have no idea where he went," Sid mentioned. "He could be back in the cabin."

"Okay, I'll make sure to check," Patty said. "What is your cabin number?"

"E-17," the friends answered together. Patty's eyes widened as a panicked expression went across her face.

"I-I didn't realize," she stuttered. The men looked at her with concern.

"Is everything okay with our cabin?" Sid asked, starting to get anxious. He didn't like the way she was acting.

"Forgive me," she whispered. "I shouldn't have said anything." She started to get up, but Stinky held her arm.

"Please stay and tell us," Stinky begged. "Is there something we should know about where we're sleeping?"

Patty sat back down. "It's really not my place to say, but you two seem nice enough. And you are friends with Harold." She took a deep breath. "Your room is haunted."

Sid and Stinky looked at her in shock and confusion. "I don't get it," Stinky replied. "How can our room be haunted?"

"Yeah," Sid agreed. "Titanic was just built. It makes no sense."

"Let me explain," Patty said. "In Belfast, where Titanic was built, there were some casualties. One of them was Sour McGee."

"What kind of name is that?" Stinky asked.

"It was a nickname," Patty explained. "He got it because of the way he smelled and for his love for lemon pudding. He was said to have the foulest odor on him because he refused to bathe and that he would try and eat lemon pudding to hide it."

"I love lemon pudding," Stinky interjected. "I reckon lemon pudding is the best thing in the entire world."

"Ignore him," Sid commanded. "What happened to Sour McGee?"

"Well," Patty began, "he was working on your room he received word that the woman he loved was marrying another man. He became so distraught that he committed suicide. His body was found hanging on the bunk located on the right side of the cabin."

Sid and Stinky widened their eyes when she motioned the location of the death. Sid began biting his clean nails while Stinky turned into a statue.

"They say that you can feel his presence in the room," Patty continued. "Before he makes himself seen, the room will have a horrific smell followed by the scent of lemon pudding. And they say those who sleep on the right side of the cabin will feel his wrath." She stood up. "Well, I better go looking for Harold. It was nice talking to you two. I'll see you two tonight."

Sid and Stinky sat there, looking at each other uncomfortably. They both chuckled softly.

"Some story, huh?" Sid said, trying to laugh it off.

"Yeah," Stinky said, running his fingers through his hair. "I reckon it's just a rumor that the crew say to each other to scare people."

"Good thing we know better, right?" Sid asked, smiling a strained half-smile to his friend and bunk mate.

"Indeed we do," Stinky agreed. They both laughed softly, trying to convince themselves that what Patty said wasn't true. One in particular was having a difficult time doing so.

* * *

Tea time had finished and for once, Helga enjoyed herself. Maggie proved herself to be a wonderful companion, and Helga invited her to join them at their table for dinner. They would still be sitting with Rhonda, Lila, and Helga's family, but she was thrilled to have someone else there to talk to, especially with what she was about to ask Arnold to do.

She went straight to Arnold's stateroom to only be met with Gerald. "Is Arnold around?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, miss, you just missed him," Gerald apologized. "He came back from lunch to rest, skipping tea time, and left a few minutes ago."

"I see," Helga muttered. She sighed. "Do you know where he went?"

"I believe he went to the lounge to attend some business," Gerald thought. Arnold had briefly mentioned that's where he was going, but Gerald thought he was once again covering his tracks so he could spend alone time with Helga. That clearly was not the case. "At least, that is what he told me. I believe it is on A deck, if I recall correctly."

"You did. Thank you, Gerald," Helga replied. "I will be brief with him, and then you and Phoebe can have your time together when I come back."

"Thank you, miss," Gerald said as he bowed.

"Gerald?" Helga called as he was about to shut the door.

"Yes, miss?" he asked his employer's secret love. He was anxious to hear what she had to say to him.

"You may call me Helga when we are in private." She smiled softly at him. She meant what she said. Phoebe and Arnold both have said so many kind words about Gerald, and it was time for Helga to see it herself.

Gerald smiled back, thrilled to know she accepts him. "Thank you. Helga."

Helga went up the staircase to the lounge. Sure enough, Gerald was right. What made it better was Arnold was alone. His meeting had come to an end and he was relaxing in a chair, trying to avoid Lila. Helga gathered up her courage and walked over to him.

"Arnold," she said. He looked up at her.

"Helga, what are you doing here?" he asked, motioning to the seat in front of him. She sat down with a serious look on her face. "This can't be good. You don't have your usual hint of sarcasm in your eyes."

_He notices that? What else does he notice? Not now, Helga, old girl. Get to the point! _"I have something important to ask you," she said, biting her bottom lip. She's hoping he would say yes. What was she kidding? Of course he would. This is Arnold, the man who says yes to everything.

"You can ask me anything," Arnold assured her, trying to ease the tension between them.

"Well, it's more of a favor, actually," she explained. "Would you be willing to sit next to Lila at dinner tonight?"

Arnold looked at her as if she belonged in an institution. _Is she intoxicated right now?_ "Is this a joke? Because I don't get it."

She rolled her eyes. He always seemed to have a hard time taking her seriously when she chose to be. "I need you to sit next to Lila tonight and ask her some personal questions," Helga said.

"Personal questions?" Arnold repeated. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Personal questions such as her home life, who her parents are, her upbringing. Questions like that."

Arnold leaned in, skeptical about her motives. "Why do you so badly want to know about her? I thought you would want nothing to do with her after what she said."

"She's hiding something," Helga insisted. "I can feel it. She never says anything about her life. It's unusual. And I want to know what she's keeping secret."

"Why?" Arnold asked. _What is the purpose of her doing this? I know she's mad, and she would be capable of anything with that anger._ "Are you planning on exposing her secrets once you find them out? Or are you going to blackmail her?"

"Of course not!" Helga exclaimed. She couldn't believe that he would think she would do such a thing. "Why are you defending her? She's the one who spread false rumors about me, and quite frankly, I want to know the reason behind it."

Arnold sighed. He was being put into a situation that he didn't like and didn't want to do. "Helga… I really don't feel comfortable about this."

Helga crossed her arms. _Is this seriously happening right now?_ "You're really saying no now?" she scoffed. "I told you to say no to _her_. I just want to know the truth."

Arnold rubbed his face with his hands. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew Helga had every right to try and understand what Lila was about. There was also a part of Arnold that wanted to know who Lila really was. But there was another part of him that was completely done with Lila. Arnold wanted to avoid her at all costs. He knew it could lead to trouble having her near him.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Helga asked impatiently. She was in disbelief that he was actually considering saying no to her. He never said no to her before, and she didn't like that he may begin now.

Arnold closed his eyes, still conflicted about his decision. He knew either way, it was not going to end well. He took a deep breath, and gave Helga his answer.

* * *

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Nadine called from behind the curtain. She had finished her when Curly decided to rummage through Lila's clothes. He found one he thought would look stunning on the maid and insisted she try it on. Nadine refused at first, saying that it was unprofessional. Curly persuaded her that she would look beautiful in it and that it would only be for a moment. Swayed by his kindness, Nadine gave in and took the dress he was holding up to her. "I'll be surprised if this even fits."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Curly assured her. He was sitting by the trunks of dresses, looking at all of them. "Are you almost finished?"

"I'm coming out now." She said. Nadine stepped out from behind the curtain. She was wearing a dark green tea dress. Two panels of colorful fabric ran down vertically in front. The top part of the dress was embellished with jewels shaped like peacock feathers. The sleeves were short with a mesh fabric cascading at the end.

Curly looked at her in amazement. She looked stunning. She could have easily been mistaken for a member of high society. In that moment, Curly had completely forgotten about Rhonda.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Nadine asked when Curly still didn't say anything.

"Amazing," he whispered. "You look absolutely amazing."

Nadine blushed. She never had a man compliment her before, and she didn't know what to do. Curly stood up and kissed her hand. Nadine giggled. He pulled her in closer and wrapped his right hand around her waist. Curly began to lead her in a dance around the room, humming "Blue Danube." Nadine continued to giggle. Curly loved her laugh.

"This is absurd!" Nadine exclaimed playfully. "This shouldn't be happening."

"And yet, it is," Curly smiled, continuing to hum and lead her around the room. "You're a natural," he commented about her dancing.

"I've seen enough dances that I've learned some moves," Nadine explained. The look in her eyes captivated him. Curly stopped humming and stared at Nadine. Everything about her was intriguing. Curly could feel a magnetic force pulling him in. His lips were inches away from hers when he remembered Rhonda. He couldn't do this. He was about to risk everything for a maid he barely knows. Of course, he was doing the same with Rhonda, but there was a monetary outcome with that. He wasn't sure what he would get if he pursued Nadine, but he figured it wouldn't be much.

"Maybe you want to change out of that before someone comes in," he whispered to her. Nadine's eyes once filled with hope now had some disappointment in them.

"Oh, okay," she mumbled. She went behind the curtain once again and changed back into her uniform. When she finished, she took the dress and reorganized the trunk back to how it was before. Nadine was folding up an overcoat when she heard a small thud on the ground. She looked down to see a small book lying on the floor.

"What's that?" Curly asked, pointing to the book.

"I don't know," Nadine answered. She picked it up and opened it. "It's her journal."

"Oh boy," Curly chuckled. "What could she possibly have to write about? If her writing is as dull as her conversations you mentioned, we'll end up falling asleep."

Nadine scrolled through the paragraphs. It was just she thought: superficial. She flipped through the pages until a passage caught her eyes. As she continued to read it, her eyes widened in shock. She kept turning the pages, each one becoming more outrageous than the last. "My God!" she whispered.

"What is it?" Curly asked, curious by Nadine's reaction. Nadine looked up, her face pale.

"I just found out two things. First, I now have a better understanding as to why my mistress acts the way she does. Second, I just found out how the pauper transformed into a princess."

**A/N: A common error in movies is they would say Margaret Brown was called Molly back then. This is completely untrue. She wasn't called Molly Brown until after her death in 1932. During her life, she did go by Maggie, which makes more sense than Molly, but I digress.**

**Inspiration for tea dress Nadine tried on: pin/345229127660860433/**

**Fun random side note: one of my new coworkers is named Helga! And she's from Germany! What are the odds? Although I would have freaked out if she also had blonde hair in pigtails and a unibrow and wears a pink bow, but I'll take what I can get.**


	10. To Speak or to Stay Silent

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you didn't miss me too much! I scrambled to get this update done today, so I hope you all enjoy it, because honestly, I missed writing it. Sadly I didn't have the time nor energy to work on it yesterday. I'm still exhausted from a late night at work and a lack of sleep, but I honestly don't care. I'm writing because I want to, not because I feel obligated. Anyways, I predict the chapter after this will be the end of the first full day out at sea. And I appreciate all the love this story is getting. Keep it coming!**

"What are you going to do?" Curly asked Nadine. She was still holding onto Lila's journal, which contained a horrifying information regarding her employer, Rhonda. Curly is unaware of the contents in the journal, but he knew it couldn't be good by Nadine's reaction.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted. "This contains material that could destroy my mistress if I say it to anyone. Even you." If she exposed the secret to anyone, then Rhonda will be ruined, and Nadine knew Rhonda will take it out on her. If Nadine hid it, then Rhonda will stay the same demanding person Nadine feared, and she will never get any peace as long as she worked for Miss Wellington Lloyd.

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Curly asked, a bit offended.

"I'm not saying that at all," Nadine countered. "It's just that this is sensitive information, and my employer is well-known in society. This will ruin her reputation."

While Curly understood this, he did not comprehend why Nadine was all of a sudden protecting her particular employer.

"Why does it matter to you if she is exposed or not?" he asked. "If she is, you may be able to leave once and for all. You won't ever have to worry about her again."

"That is, if she found out I'm the one who exposed her," Nadine pointed out. "If my mistress finds out, then _I'll_ be the one ruined. She would sack me and make sure I will never get another job again. That is, if she still has a say in society at that point, but I'm sure her parents would do something about it. No one would trust me. Any future employer will think that I will say all their secrets. Oh, good God, I'll end up in the poor house for certain this time!"

"But staying silent will be not make it better for you, either," Curly mentioned. "She will continue to berate you with orders, and you will stay unhappy." Curly realized that he didn't want Nadine to be hurt. The more she talked about her employer, whoever she is, the more Curly despised her and felt pity for Nadine. He wanted more than anything to see her get out of her current situation, but he knew that she had to want it enough to make it happen.

"Yes, but having a miserable job is better than being miserable and unemployed," Nadine argued. "The worst part of it all is this milkmaid is going to get away with her torture."

"Torture?" Curly asked. "Of what torture do you speak?"

Nadine covered her mouth with her hand. She spoke too much already. Any more, and it could make things worse. Nadine looked at Curly. Every time they spent together, her feelings for him grew. Yet, she has only known him for one day. How well does she know him? Can she really trust him to keep this secret?

"I cannot go into much detail," Nadine told him. She decided that if she were to develop anything with him, she needed to learn to trust he will say nothing about it. "And I ask that anything I tell you, you will keep between us. I don't need gossip spreading from the crew and somehow getting back to my mistress. That would be the end of me."

"You have my word," Curly promised. "I will not say anything to anyone."

"Thank you," Nadine said. "It appears my mistress' friend is more of an enemy. She found out something about my mistress and is blackmailing her. Basically, she wants to be considered high society to capture the attention of another passenger on this ship with whom she has fallen in love. I've heard them talk about him. They say another passenger also fancies him, and he fancies her back-but neither have said anything- so my mistress and her 'friend' have been conspiring to keep them apart."

Curly took a moment to take in everything Nadine just said. "It sounds like a complicated web of feelings, if you ask me. So, she is blackmailing your mistress so she can get the attention of a man, who just so happens to be on this ship as well and has feelings for another woman?"

"And this other woman isn't necessarily known for being demure," Nadine said. "Other than that, that is the gist of what is going on. She isn't the brightest of people, as you can probably imagine, so I am surprised she even managed to think of a plan such as this."

"She knows what she wants," Curly said. "Even if it appears next to impossible that she is going to end up with him in the end."

"I know," Nadine replied. "And yet, she insists on having my mistress do this and continues to blackmail her."

Curly's eyes widened at what Nadine just said. Quickly, his mind began to formulate a solution to Nadine's predicament.

"What if," he said slowly to build up suspense, "you blackmail the milkmaid?"

Nadine cocked her head. "What are you talking about? How do I blackmail someone who is blackmailing someone else?"

"You tell her you know her secret," Curly explained. "And that if she doesn't at least leave your mistress alone, you will tell the man she likes who she really is."

Nadine thought for a moment. It seemed like a brilliant plan. She will keep her job, Rhonda will save face and maybe be nicer, and Lila will be miserable. Who didn't love that? And yet...

"I'm not sure," Nadine muttered. "It seems risky. I feel that it could end up in disaster."

Curly sighed and rubbed his forehead with annoyance. He just gave this woman a perfect opportunity to make things right, and she is being timid to take any action. What was she so afraid of? She continually refused to try and do anything, and Curly was getting tired of it.

"Do what you want to do, then," he said annoyingly. "I've done nothing but try to help you this entire time, and you decline to accept it. I cannot help someone who, for some reason, doesn't want to help herself."

"I do want to help myself!" Nadine exclaimed, shocked at where this was coming. Why was he acting like this?

"Well, you sure fooled me," he scoffed. "You're miserable where you are, but you don't want to do anything to make it better. And now, I give you a suggestion that might make it better, but you are hesitant to do so. Honestly, what is holding you back from having happiness?"

Nadine opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it. She never thought of it before. Why did she refuse herself happiness? What made her think that she didn't deserve it when others around her who are cruel strive for it? She didn't know.

"When you figure it out, let me know," Curly muttered. "I have to get back to work." He left the room, leaving Nadine to her thoughts. She didn't know what to do. She didn't like that she disappointed him, but she was still conflicted about blackmailing Lila. However, she didn't have much time to think about it. She looked at the clock and saw how late it was. Nadine squealed, realizing she has yet to tidy Rhonda's room. In a mad rush, she headed to the next room, hoping that she won't get into trouble.

_I'll think about it later,_ she thought. _At dinner, I'll try to make things right. That is, if I can…_

* * *

"You go first," Sid said to Stinky. They were standing outside their cabin after avoiding it all day. Neither one wanted to admit it, but they were fearful if Patty's story was true.

"No, I insist," Stinky replied. "You go first."

Neither one budged. They stood there for several minutes staring at each other.

"This is ridiculous," Sid said. "It's just a story. It doesn't mean that it's true. She could just be making it up."

"Yeah," Stinky agreed. "It could all be a joke to scare us or something."

"But she did seem nice to us," Sid countered, backing off from his first statement.

"It makes me feel kinda bad that we made fun of her," Stinky mentioned, rubbing his arm with his other hand.

"I guess there's only one thing to do," Sid said. Stinky nodded.

"You first!" they said at the same time. They groaned, exhausted by the arguing. If they could avoid their room altogether, they would. But their belongings were in that room, and they still didn't trust Harold alone with their stuff.

"Hello, gentlemen," Eugene said, walking up to them. He didn't notice a random suitcase in his way until he fell over it. "I'm okay."

Sid and Stinky stared at Eugene, and then at each other. They knew they had the same idea and nodded in agreement.

"Hello, Eugene," Sid said, assisting Eugene up off the floor. Eugene thanked him. "Were you wanting to go inside?"

"Yes I was," Eugene said. "Why are you two outside?"

Sid was able to come up with a reason quickly. "Wouldn't you know it? We forgot our keys. Would you mind if we came in with you?"

"Not at all," Eugene replied. "The room belongs to all of us, anyways, so why would I mind?" He pulled out his key and unlocked the door. He entered, slowly followed by Sid and Stinky. They all caught a whiff of a rancid odor and all groaned in displeasure.

"What is that?" Eugene asked. "It's like something died in here!"

Sid and Stinky looked at each other anxiously. That was the first clue Patty gave them.

"Do I smell lemon?" Eugene added.

The friends' eyes widened. "It's Sour McGee!" the screamed. Hastily they ran out of the door, screaming at the top of their lungs and catching the attention of everyone around them.

* * *

"I swear, those two are going to be the death of me," Gerald complained. He and Phoebe were currently at the servant's dining room, catching up on their day, since they have been unable to have time with each other. "And what happened to our alone time together?"

"I'm sure they meant to give it to us," Phoebe said. "I don't think any of them realized how distracting the whole situation with Miss Sawyer would be."

"I don't think anyone did," Gerald muttered. "Are you sure we can't just throw her overboard and end this misery?"

"Gerald!" Phoebe said in a hushed tone. "You know we can't do that, even though it's tempting. We need to try and help them find out what is going on."

Just then, an exhausted Nadine entered the room. She sat next to Phoebe and Gerald. "Hello," she mumbled, her eyes half opened.

Phoebe and Gerald looked at her. They have seen Nadine tired yesterday, but that night she looked worse. "Nadine," Phoebe said carefully. "Are you okay?"

Nadine shook her head. "I became distracted for several hours today and I ran behind on my work. I was rushing to finish Miss Lloyd's room, but I didn't get it all done when she came in to change for dinner, and she yelled at me, saying I couldn't have dinner until I finished. I just managed to get everything done but I'm so tired."

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered. "Well, if you need any help, please let me know. I will be happy to help. I'm sure it must be difficult to have to do two rooms by yourself."

"You really mean that?" Nadine asked, her eyes starting to fill with hope.

"Of course," Phoebe assured her. "Do you want me to help tomorrow?" Nadine nodded. "When I finish Miss Pataki's room, I will come and help you."

"Thank you so much!" Nadine exclaimed.

"It's my pleasure. Just out of curiosity, what was it that distracted you from your work today?"

Nadine bit her bottom lip. "Something silly," she replied, shaking her head softly. Phoebe eyed Gerald. They both knew she was hiding something, and Phoebe was going to find out.

* * *

Arnold immediately regretted his decision once he told Helga. At dinner, he continually looked over at the blonde he desired with all his heart, pleading to her for mercy. Every time she looked back, she had a look in her eyes that he swore had the power to kill him, and his gaze would shift to his plate.

He didn't want to say no to her. He hated doing it, but he felt like he had to. Arnold wanted nothing to do with Lila anymore. Even though he understood the reason behind Helga wanting to know why Lila behaved the way she did, Arnold could care less.

To him, Lila was a personalized torture chamber made specifically for him. Any time she was close, Arnold wanted nothing more than to jump ship to get away from her. Tonight, however, he would settle avoiding sitting next to her at dinner. However, he could still see her eyeing him during dinner. Whenever their eyes met, she would flutter her eyelashes at him. She was wearing a green dress that looked beautiful in contrast to her red hair, but Arnold knew better than to fall for the deceiving appearance. Arnold would smile softly at her- still being the gentleman he was raised to be- and then quickly look away.

Tonight he sat between Mr. Andrews and Mr. Ismay. Arnold enjoyed his discussions with Mr. Andrews. He could see why Helga enjoyed his company the night before. Mr. Ismay, on the other hand, only wished to discuss the ship. Ismay prided himself on creating such a design that he believed all the world will remember. Ismay then went to discuss the speed of the Titanic, bragging that it could go as fast as 22 knots, and that Arnold should expect to see that in the coming days.

On occasion when he was talking with Ismay, Arnold would glance over at Helga. At that time, she would be talking with Maggie Brown. Maggie was a boisterous woman with a lot of passion. In a way, Maggie reminded Arnold of Helga. It was no wonder the two were getting along so well. He could see Helga smiling throughout the entire time. He loved it when she smiled. It drove him wild, just like the night before when her chest went up and down as she breathed. It made him wonder how much her breasts could expand without the constriction of a corset blocking them. Arnold's face immediately went red when he felt the space inside his pants disappear.

"Sugar, you have got to come visit me in Denver sometime," Maggie told Helga with a smile. "I hope you enjoy skiing, because the slopes are amazing."

Helga couldn't help but smile in the company of Maggie. She was full of life and like Helga, didn't fall into the stereotype of a typical woman in their social circle. Helga looked up to her, and hoped that Maggie could help her.

"I've never been," Helga said. "My father won't allow me."

"Well, that's nonsense!" Maggie exclaimed. "Know that a woman is capable of doing anything a man can do. That is why it is important for us women to stick together and show those men what is going on. That's why I plan on running for the Senate. Sure, it would be difficult, especially since women aren't allowed to vote, but with strong convictions, I believe it will be worth it."

Helga couldn't help but giggle at Maggie's proclamation. She had such a fire in her for what she loves, and Helga admired that.

"Don't ever let a man control you, Sugar," Maggie continued. "If he can't accept you for the woman you are, then he isn't the man. But you can't control him, either. There has to be a mutual respect for one another of who they are, or it will end in disaster."

Helga smiled softly. For some reason, she felt that Maggie wasn't speaking in a general sense. Helga knew she was right. She had to respect Arnold for his decision to not want to be around Lila. In a way, Helga was relieved. At least she didn't have to worry about Arnold and whether or not he would finally snap.

"I'll keep that in mind, Maggie," Helga informed her. "Thank you for that advice."

"My pleasure, Sugar," she replied, smirking. "Speaking of men, there appears to be a devilishly handsome one who keeps staring at you. He has blonde hair and such sparkling green eyes. Do you know him?"

Helga knew who she was talking about without even looking. "Arnold Shortman," Helga replied. Maggie nodded in confirmation. "He keeps looking over because I'm mad at him for not helping me with something."

"Well, it looks like he is sorry for whatever it is," Maggie noticed. "At least, that's how he looks half the time."

Helga furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean? What else does he look like?" _Is he angry? Vengeful? Does he want nothing to do with me anymore?_

Maggie laughed and leaned in closely. "Why Sugar," she whispered, "he looks like he is undressing you with his eyes."

Helga's eyes widened and her face went tomato red. Was Arnold really thinking of her in that way? He couldn't be. Arnold was the epitome of a gentleman. Before Lila, he never had an ill word to say about a woman, and as far as Helga knew, he never had an impure thought about one, either. Helga knew men who did behave in such a way, and none of them were anything like Arnold.

"That can't be," Helga scoffed, her voiced hushed. "Arnold would never look at someone like that, let alone think that way. He is too much of a gentleman to be like that."

"He may be a gentleman," Maggie said, "but he is a man nonetheless. And men have certain urges. But if you had to have a man look at you like that, he certainly isn't the worst man in the world."

_So he was looking at me like that? Why? Is he just lonely and need company? If that is, then I am going to choke him until he turned blue! There is no way in hell Helga G. Pataki is going to be used to relieve some sexual desires!_

"I see something else in his eyes," Maggie mentioned to her with another smirk.

"A fly?" Helga replied sarcastically. Maggie laughed loud for the entire table to hear. Helga hid her face to cover her embarrassment.

"Sugar, you are too much!" she hooted. "But no, it's not a fly. I just happen to see some form of affection. I think he cares about you."

Helga looked at Maggie as if she had lost her mind. Now Arnold has affection towards Helga? This was something she wanted her entire life, but she was skeptical. She looked over at Arnold. He was looking back, but Helga couldn't see affection nor a sexual desire in his eyes. Instead, she saw mere politeness.

"Even if he did, it's not like I would care if that stupid Football Head had any affection to me," she said while rolling her eyes. "It's not going to change anything."

Maggie gave her a look. "Sugar, you can lie to everyone around you. You can even lie to me, but you cannot lie to yourself about how you feel about that boy. You are just going to be lonely for the rest of your life if you decide to never tell him. And if you don't, then you deserve him."

Helga sat there quietly. Was it always that obvious? Did everyone know? Did Arnold know? Helga doubted the last one. He was too dense to know anything. She laughed to herself with how little Arnold really sees. And yet, this innocence is one of the reasons she loves him. If only he wasn't too dense to see it.

The last course had been served and eaten. The men agreed to head to the first class smoking room for a round of drinks and a game of cards. The men stood up and started to bid adieu to the women when Lila stood up abruptly.

"Excuse me ever so much, gentlemen, but there is something I wanted to say before you left." The men slowly sat down, allowing Lila to have the floor. Arnold and Helga looked at each other and shrugged.

"Thank you oh so much," Lila continued. "I promise to brief. I just wanted to thank everyone for your kindness and getting to know you in such a brief time."

_Yet, no one knows you, _Helga thought while rolling her eyes.

"But there is one person in particular that has been oh so amazing to me. He has shown me so much kindness that I have never felt before. I guess what I'm trying to say is Arnold…"

Arnold looked at Lila nervously. He had a feeling what she was going to say. _Don't do it, Lila. Don't do it!_

_That dumb bitch better not be saying what I think she's going to say!_

"I love you!"

_And… she did._


	11. Should Have Stayed Silent

**A/N: I couldn't wait to start this chapter. Honestly, I hate not having something for you guys every day. As tiring my job can be, especially since I work nights, I enjoy writing too much. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy what is to be the final chapter of the second day. After this, we have three days until the sinking. Oh boy, time is really starting to fly with this.**

**To PresleyRox, I keep my evil horns locked up in a safe until I decided they are needed for my writing.**

The entire table sat in silence. Some had expressions of elation lit across their faces, while others had faces of approval. Some remained stoic and some were just plain embarrassed. Arnold and Helga both landed in the latter category. It didn't help Arnold that everyone at the table was staring at him, waiting for his answer.

"Um, Lila, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Arnold asked. He'd rather run out of the room, leaving them all behind. But he still had to see these people for the rest of the voyage. And there were others he still needed to conduct business with once their sea journey was complete.

"Of course, Arnold," Lila beamed. She followed him out of the dining room, sneaking a quick dirty glance in Helga's direction just before she disappeared. Helga scowled as she watched them disappear.

"Is it just me, or did that girl just lost her damn mind?" Maggie asked Helga.

Helga chuckled. "I would say yes, but I think she was born without one." Maggie laughed at the comment. "If you'll excuse me, I don't want to miss this."

"You wanted to speak with me, Arnold?" Lila asked sweetly. Arnold had led them to a corner of the reception room, away from prying ears. Lila had high hopes that Arnold was going to tell her what she wanted to here. He was probably just too shy to say it front of other people. Lila stood there, waiting in an excited anticipation for the words she longed to hear from him.

"Lila, what was that in there?" Arnold asked with his arms crossed and his brows furrowed.

"Whatever do you mean?" Lila asked.

"I mean your sudden confession!" he hissed at her. "What possessed you to do that? And in front of so many people, no less?"

"I just wanted everyone to know how much you mean to me," she replied innocently, confused as to why Arnold was reacting that way. _With one person in particular._

Arnold scoffed. "Do you realize how embarrassing that was? And in such poor taste? People don't do that, Lila. You should know that."

"And people shouldn't have secret lovers who are spies," Lila retorted. Arnold could feel the anger rising in him. He had tried his hardest to be patient with her in the past day, but he had it with her.

"Don't you dare lie about Helga! And this isn't about her. It's about you and your behavior, which has been deplorable."

Lila remained silent, not knowing what to say, but maintaining a look of innocence on her face. Why was he being like this? This was not how Lila thought it was going to go.

"You've lied and made yourself look foolish because of it," Arnold continued. "I was think you were this nice girl who talked too much. But now, I don't even know what to think of you. I don't know anything about you! I mean, I've only known you for one day!"

"So what are you saying exactly?" Lila asked, frowning. Arnold sighed, trying to gather what tolerance and patience he had left in him to say these words.

"As flattered I am by your declaration of love, I simply do not reciprocate your feelings," Arnold stated slowly, enunciating each word carefully so Lila understood. Her frown grew deeper as each word passed.

"B-but I-I," she stuttered, trying to find her words. "I just told you I loved you in front of everyone! What will everyone think if you don't say it back?"

"Frankly, Lila, I don't care," Arnold told her. "And if you care so much about what other people were going to think, then you probably should have thought of that before saying you loved me in front of everyone. I'm sorry, but I simply don't love you. Excuse me." Arnold walked passed Lila and headed up the staircase. After all of that, he needed a drink. Or five.

Lila stood there, her face now the same shade as her hair. She never had been so humiliated before. How could Arnold, supposedly the nicest man in the world, talk to her that way?

"Honey," Maggie said as she walked up to her from behind. "I don't know what you were thinking trying to pull a stunt like that, but you just made yourself look like a damn fool. Next time, try using that thing in your head called a brain before you start shooting off your mouth."

Lila glared at Maggie. "I oh so don't recall asking for your advice," she huffed as she left for the staircase, leaving Maggie shaking her head Once Lila reached the base, she saw Helga there, smirking.

"Enjoy it now," Lila hissed, glaring at the ecstatic blonde. "But this is oh so not the end."

Helga laughed. "You really are that delusional, aren't you? You tell someone you love them after knowing them for a day in front of a crowd! How did you think that was going to end?"

"At least I had the nerve to admit how I felt about him," Lila snarled, letting Helga know she knows about her secret affection for Arnold. "Which is more than what I can say about you."

"That doesn't change the fact that you humiliated yourself in front of everyone," Helga pointed out, chuckling. Seeing Lila squirm was hilarious, and Helga decided to finally ask what she wanted to know. "Oh, and by the way, where are you from again? I didn't quite hear it the first time."

"Why would I ever tell you?" Lila scoffed, refusing to admit anything. "It's not my fault And why do you care?"

"Because I know you're hiding something," Helga stated, staring straight into Lila's eyes. "And believe me, I will find out what it is."

"You can go burn in hell where you belong," Lila jeered so only Helga could hear.

"Well, if I see you there, then I'll know I'm in the right place," Helga retorted, keeping the smirk on her face.

Lila lifted her nose into the air, harrumphed, and walked away to the elevators. _You will regret this, Helga Pataki. Mark my words. If I can't have Arnold, then neither can you._

* * *

The divided troupe finished another night of comedy. The crowd loved them once again, despite there being some tension among the performers. They made a little bit more that night as compared to the night before. Earlier, Eugene offered to hold onto the money until the end of the voyage in order to maintain the peace until they were able to come to a compromise about how to split it. The three estranged friends agreed, and Eugene collected the money, chuckling to himself.

As with the previous night, musicians around third class began to play and the passengers began to dance. This time, Harold decided to take part in the festivities, and asked Patty to dance with him. Since Patty was no longer working that day, she agreed. Eugene went back into the room to count the money. Sid and Stinky sat in the back of the room, dreading the moment when they would have to return to their room. They still haven't gotten over what happened earlier, and Sid was afraid that Sour McGee would haunt them later that night.

"How are your friends treating you?" Patty asked Harold.

"They're still avoiding me," Harold replied. "But they've been acting weird all day."

"How so?" Patty asked, following Harold's lead.

"They don't want to go into the room," Harold explained. "Eugene said they were complaining about someone name Sour McGee and that the room smelled of someone dying and lemons."

"Did they say why?"

"No," Harold replied. "Like I said, they aren't talking to me, and Eugene couldn't figure out why either."

"Well, that's certainly odd," Patty chuckled, seeing that her plan worked. She knew that she had to prepare for the next phase of the plan for tomorrow.

"What's so funny?" Harold asked her.

"Just something I have to do tomorrow," she replied.

"How is it funny?" he asked, confused as to why she was acting that way.

"I'll be sure to tell you sometime later," she smirked. "But now, let's dance."

Eugene gathered all the money. So far, they made forty-three dollars from two nights. He tucked the bills safely inside his mattress and grin mischievously.

_They can continue to argue among themselves, and I will reap all the benefits. What good friends they are to trust me with the money. Or foolish, I should say._

* * *

Rhonda and Lila met in Rhonda's room. Nadine was preparing Rhonda for bed while Lila sat at the table. Neither was too happy with the outcome of dinner.

"What were you thinking with that display?" Rhonda asked Lila as Nadine brushed her hair.

"I was doing what you told me!" Lila spat. "You told me to admit my feelings to Arnold in front of that thing! And I did exactly that."

"Yes, I said in front of Helga, but I didn't say in front of the entire dining room!" Rhonda exclaimed. "We're going to have to sit at another table now because of all of this, that is, if someone will allow us to sit at their table. I cannot believe this is happening. Ouch! Watch it, Nadine!"

"Sorry, miss," Nadine replied. She was still tired from earlier that day and she hadn't fully recovered.

"Well, maybe next time, you should be more specific on what to do," Lila retorted.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think that I'd have to tell you not to put on a display during dinner!" Rhonda scoffed. "I thought you would have at least known that."

Lila frowned and stood up. "Nadine, leave us for a moment." Nadine looked at Rhonda for confirmation. Rhonda shooed her away and Nadine left the room. She leaned her ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside.

Lila looked at Rhonda and leaned in. "I believe our agreement was ever so clear," she said. "You were to help me get Arnold, and I wouldn't tell people what I saw."

Rhonda stood up. "I've been doing what I can, Lila. It's not my fault you can't seem to understand how to capture Arnold's affection. And after all of this, you'll be lucky if he even looks in your direction again."

"Then it appears you have failed your mission," Lila said. "But I won't tell your secret. At least, not right now."

Rhonda glared at her. "What do you want now?"

"Make sure that creature doesn't get Arnold," Lila instructed. "And if possible, put in a good word for me. Convince him that I'm meant for him."

"Are you kidding me?" Rhonda asked. "He's never going to fall for you now! Not after what happened. And I seriously doubt he's going to believe anything I say about Helga, especially since we are travelling together."

"That's your problem to figure out," Lila said. "If those two end up together, then you can be sure I will let everyone know what you did. You'll come back to New York with your name ruined. And how will your parents feel about that?"

Rhonda pursed her lips. She hated Lila for doing this to her, but she had no choice. She couldn't ruin her family's reputation. Her parents would be shamed. They wouldn't be invited to anymore social gatherings. Rhonda would have to live the rest of her life in seclusion. Life as she knew it would be over.

"I'll do my best," Rhonda sighed. "But I can't guarantee it will work."

"For your sake, I hope it does," Lila snarled, turning towards the door. "It's been ever so nice talking to you. Make oh so sure Nadine comes to my room once she's finished with you."

Lila left the room and Nadine reentered, able to step away from the door before it swung open. Rhonda sat back down in front of the vanity and looked into the mirror. She looked tired, which was not surprising. Just one day sailing with Lila was more than she could handle. How was she going to deal with Lila for the rest of the week?

"Is everything all right, miss?" Nadine asked softly.

Rhonda took a deep breath and put on a smile. "Of course, Nadine. And next time, don't speak unless addressed first! No need for everyone to forget their manners tonight."

"Sorry, miss," Nadine muttered. Rhonda didn't speak to her the rest of the time, but Nadine could tell she was unhappy. She had heard the entire argument from outside the door, and knew what Rhonda had to do to keep her secret. Nadine felt sorry for her entrapped employer, but she still felt that trying to help Rhonda will only makes things worse.

Nadine left after finishing up. Rhonda lied on her bed, staring at the roaring fireplace. The fire crackled and popped, creating the only sound in the room. She wished that she were more careful the night Lila caught her. Then she wouldn't be in this situation. As she closed her eyes, her thoughts transported back to that fateful night six months ago.

* * *

October 1911, New York City

The Wellington Lloyds were hosting their annual Harvest Ball for all of the upper society on the isle of Manhattan. Their extravagant mansion was decorated with autumn foliage and pumpkins. Everyone was dressed in their best, with the men in their custom made tuxedos and the women in their best ball gowns. Rhonda's dress was exquisite and in her best color: red. Hours before the party, Rhonda went around, inspecting the décor and food for the party. As she made her rounds, someone caught her eye.

"What are doing up here?" Rhonda demanded to know. "You're supposed to downstairs. We can't be seen with our driver up here. You don't belong up here."

"I apologize, miss," the driver replied. "I just wanted to see the place decorated before I have to disappear for the night."

"Well, you have seen enough," Rhonda told him. "You best go where you belong."

"Yes, miss," the driver said. How bowed to her and disappeared.

The orchestra was playing and the guests started coming in. Rhonda greeted each one with grace and charm, although it was difficult to do so when Helga came in. As the guests continued to pile into the ballroom, there was one guest who stuck out sorely, and it wasn't Helga.

"Hello, I'm Lila Sawyer" the misplaced girl said. Her dress was plain, almost rags. Her red hair was tangled and she had a foul stench upon her.

"Rhonda Wellington Lloyd," Rhonda replied, her nostrils flaring from the odor. "What is that smell?"

"I'm ever so sorry," Lila said sweetly. "I'm afraid that would be me. The smell of cows is difficult to hide."

"Cows?" Rhonda asked, her face pinched. "How were you even allowed in here? You're not even dressed appropriately for this gathering."

"I came here with Mr. Milton Hershey," Lila explained. "You see, my father owns one of the dairy farms for Mr. Hershey to make his oh so delicious chocolate. As an act of kindness, he allowed me to come with him tonight. I'm afraid this is the best dress I had, and it was too late to get a new one."

"I see," Rhonda replied haughtily. "Well, may I suggest that if you're ever allowed to come back here, that you take a bath first. Or several. Excuse me."

She left Lila standing by herself as she walked through the crowd of guests. She took notice of the time and quietly departed from the celebrating guests.

"Rhonda!" a voice called. Rhonda turned to see who it was.

"Arnold, darling!" Rhonda exclaimed. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"Another triumph," he smiled politely. "Where are you off to? You're going to miss the rest of it."

"I'm just going to freshen up," Rhonda answered. "I won't be gone for too long. Enjoy the rest of the party." Rhonda left the blonde and headed upstairs to her room. She entered and turned to face the door, closing it quietly.

"I've been waiting for you," a deep voice said, causing Rhonda to jump. She turned to see the driver was sitting on her canopy bed.

"You didn't have to scare me like that," Rhonda gasped.

"It's more fun that way," he smirked. "Now, get over here so I can kiss those luscious lips of yours."

Rhonda smiled and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her in and kissed her lovingly.

"Oh, Wolfgang," she whispered, her lips grazing against his. He pulled her onto the bed and lifted her skirt. He undid his pants and climbed on top of her. Rhonda moaned when she felt him penetrate her. He lied on top of her, kissing every inch of visible skin. With each thrust, Rhonda moved with him, trying to keep her moans quiet. She tugged on his hair, causing him to go faster.

"Excuse me, is this… oh goodness!" Rhonda and Wolfgang stopped and saw who interrupted them. Rhonda's eyes widened at the sight of the milkmaid. Quickly, she pushed Wolfgang off of him.

"Get out of here," she whispered to him. "I'll deal with her." Wolfgang did as he was told and left the room, leaving the two women alone. "You saw nothing," she said.

"Oh, I didn't, did I?" Lila asked mockingly. Rhonda was taken aback. "I suppose I could keep my mouth shut, but there's something I want in return."

"There's no way I'm helping you out," Rhonda sneered. "You're nothing but a farm girl."

"A farm girl who saw you in the arms of a driver," Lila pointed out. "And I'm not afraid to tell anyone."

Rhonda glared at her. She had no choice. "What do you want?" she snarled.

"I want you to help me become a proper woman of society," Lila said. "There's a man downstairs who has caught my eye and I want to impress him. And you're going to help me."

"Fine, but if you say a word, then I will stop helping you," Rhonda said. Lila nodded in agreement. "May I ask who this man is?"

"I didn't catch his name," Lila said. "But he has blonde hair and an unusually shaped head. I believe you were talking to him before you left the room."

Rhonda's eyes grew in realization. "Arnold Shortman."

* * *

A sudden knock on the door had awoken Rhonda from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes and she got out of bed. Thoughts of that night continued to swirl in her head. She opened the door to see Curly standing there.

"Did I disturb you?" Curly asked.

Rhonda shook her head. "On the contrary, you came just in time. I need a distraction."

Curly smiled, for he needed one as well after his encounters with Nadine. "As you wish, miss." He walked inside and closed the door behind them.

**A/N: Day two officially over! Woo hoo! And don't ask me how I got it done so quickly, because I have no clue. But at least it's a nice surprise.**


	12. Changing Course

**A/N: It's my day off, so that means new chapter! Along with probably a new one shortly after I finish posting this one. I'll be honest in saying I needed a day off from writing, and not just because I've been exhausted from all the work. After what happened in the last chapter, I needed to figure out how exactly I wanted this day to play out. I still don't have the whole thing played out, but that's part of the fun. I'll even admit I still don't know who's going to die in this, but no one is totally safe, not even our first class ladies.**

Friday, April 12, 1912, Northern Atlantic Ocean

Curly woke up that morning feeling empty. The previous morning he felt like the luckiest man in the world, that nothing could bring him down. And now, he wished he didn't use Rhonda as a way to try and forget his fight with Nadine. It didn't help, but only made him feel worse, despite that she took advantage of him as well. For what reason, he didn't know, but he knew that he had to talk to her.

After getting dressed and eating breakfast, Curly walked through the corridors to Rhonda's room. Shortly before arriving to his destination, he spotted Nadine heading his way. He didn't want to talk to her, but he was in uniform. Therefore was required to treat every passenger well, even if he was not fond of them.

"Good morning, Nadine," Curly muttered as she walked closer. She stopped and looked at him with tired eyes, which lit up when he spoke her name.

"Curly…" she began, then closed her mouth as she began to think of what to say next. "I know you're not happy with me at the moment, but please understand why I chose to keep quiet. It's best for everyone involved."

"How?" Curly asked. "The way I see it, the only one happy is this milkmaid. Your mistress is unhappy because she's being blackmailed, and you're unhappy because of how she's treating you because she's being blackmailed. It's all too simple. I gave you a brilliant plan, and yet you choose to do nothing, except be miserable." He took a deep breath. "Have you even thought of what we talked about yesterday?"

"No," she admitted, shaking her head. "I hadn't the time."

"Well, I suggest you try and make time," Curly said sternly. "Until then, I believe it's best I don't see you. I'm sorry, but I believe it's for the best. I just find it disappointing you won't help yourself. Excuse me."

Curly continued on his way before Nadine could speak another word. That is, if she wanted to saying anything else. She watched him leave. When he was out of sight, she turned and went back the way she was headed, with a single teardrop escaping.

Curly knocked on Rhonda's door. He waited impatiently until she opened the door. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face stained from her eyes to her jawline.

"Not right now, Curly," she said. "I'm not feeling well."

"I'm not here for that," Curly explained. "I was hoping we could talk about what happened last night."

Rhonda nodded and opened the door wider to let Curly through. He entered, and went straight to the table. Rhonda followed suit after closing the door. "You wanted to talk?"

"More like apologize," Curly clarified. "I was using our time last night as a way to forget what happened between me and a friend, and it was wrong of me to do that. So, I would like to formally apologize for my actions and how I treated you."

"There's no need to apologize," Rhonda said. "I did the same thing to you, although I must say, it didn't help me forget. I feel like it only enhanced everything that happened."

"May I ask what happened?" Curly asked, placing his hand on top of hers. "Not to be rude, but you look worse than when I left you last night."

"I can imagine," she chuckled softly. "And for once, I don't care how I look. As for what's going on, I don't want to go into detail, but the basic idea is someone I know wants me to keep two people apart because she cannot stand one of them."

"And how do you feel about them?" Curly asked.

"The gentleman is one of the nicest people I have ever known," Ronda said. "As for the woman, the one she despises, she isn't the easiest to get along with. She is quite outspoken, and doesn't allow anyone to tear her down. I'm quite envious of her, actually."

Rhonda chuckled at the realization. Of all people, she was jealous of Helga Pataki. Someone who had a tongue so sharp it could cut metal. Someone who had a boisterous father, an alcoholic mother, and a sister who was oblivious to how cruel the world can be. And yet, Helga didn't let what people thought of her stop her from being who she was. She didn't let her family get in her way. Helga was a free soul, and Rhonda wanted nothing more than to have that.

"If you don't dislike them, then why are you doing it? That is, if you agreed to do it." Curly wondered.

"I promised to help her with something else in exchange for her to keep a secret," Rhonda explained. "When it didn't go according to plan, she switched what she wanted, which is keep them apart."

"It seems to me that you don't want to do this," Curly said. Rhonda nodded her head in agreement. "It is a tricky situation, but there must be a way out of this."

"She won't give up power so easily," Rhonda told him. "She's in control of just about everything."

A smile crept on Curly's face. "Or let her _think_ she has the power."

"What do you mean?" Rhonda asked. "How do I let her believe she's in charge even though she actually is?"

"You have to take the power back," Curly told her. "Instead of her doing the manipulating, you become the manipulator."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Rhonda asked, getting irritated by Curly's word games. "Go to the two people she wants me to separate and tell them so they could trick her into thinking she won? Oh, my God, that's it! Curly, you're a genius!" Rhonda jumped from her seat and hugged Curly tightly. Curly wrapped his arms around her, happy that Rhonda is willing to take her life back.

"I'm happy to help," he laughed. "So, when are you going to tell them?"

"Immediately." Rhonda kissed him on the cheek and ran for the door. "Come back tonight and I'll tell you what happens!"

Curly couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness. He decided to wait awhile before leaving the room as to not appear suspicious. As he sat there waiting, he couldn't help but ponder how alike Rhonda's story was with Nadine's. _Is it a coincidence? Or is it something else?_

* * *

The sunlight peeked through the curtains straight into Arnold's face. He groaned first from the light, and then the thunderous pounding that was coming from his head.

"Good morning, Arnold." Gerald's voice said. He may have said it in his normal voice, but to Arnold, it sounded like Gerald was screaming so loud he could be heard down in the boiler rooms.

Arnold groaned again in agony. "Must you be so loud? And what happened last night?"

Gerald chuckled. "You might want to cover up first," he suggested.

"Huh?" Arnold looked down and saw that he was on the bed, wearing absolutely nothing. He also noticed that he was saluting Gerald. He quickly grabbed his blankets and pulled them over him. "Why am I not wearing anything?"

"You drank too much," Gerald told him in softer voice. "I was spending time with Phoebe at Helga's stateroom. When I was heading back to my room, one of the stewards finally found me and asked me to get you from the smoking room. They said you were belligerent. When I got you, you kept saying how horrible Lila was and how badly you wanted to toss her into a pig pen. It was quite amusing, actually. I managed to get you dressed for bed, but I'm guessing at some point during the night you took your clothes off and tore the blankets off of you."

"Did I really do that?" Arnold asked groggily.

"I'm afraid so," Gerald told him. "I have some tea made for you if you want some. It may help with the headache." Arnold nodded and slowly sat up. He hissed at the pain and held his head. Gerald offered him the cup, and Arnold thank him. As Arnold drank the tea, thoughts of dinner the night before came back to him. He remembered the confession of Lila's love for him and him yelling at her. He remembered going to the smoking room and drinking until he forgot what happened next.

"I can't believe the way I behaved last night," Arnold mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Gerald replied. "I've never seen you so intoxicated before. Come to think of it, I've never seen you intoxicated at all."

"I'm not talking about the drinking," Arnold said. "I'm talking about how I talked to Lila. That's not me, Gerald. I don't talk to women like that, even if they do deserve it. I'm better than that, and yet I allowed her to get the best of me."

"You're seriously upset about how you talked to Lila?" Gerald scoffed, sitting at the table with a cup of tea of his own. "Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get used to tea. I prefer coffee."

"Yes, I'm upset, Gerald," Arnold replied. "I'm upset because that is not who I am and you know it. I should probably apologize to her."

"Are you kidding me?" Gerald yelled, forgetting Arnold's hangover. Arnold grabbed his head in agony. "Sorry," he whispered. "But honestly, apologize to Lila? That's probably going to cause more harm than good to do that. She may take it as you changing her mind."

"It's the right thing to do, Gerald," Arnold told him. "And I'll only be apologizing for my behavior, not for what I said."

"It's a bold move, Arnold," Gerald said. "A bold move. I just don't see why you should be spending your energy on Lila, especially when you don't want her in your life, which you've made quite clear."

"I've already explained myself, and I'm not going to do it again," he said annoyingly. "Nothing you can say is going to stop me from changing my mind."

Gerald sighed in defeat. "If you say so, although I believe you're still drunk from last night and aren't thinking straight. At least promise me you won't do anything until you have breakfast and are able to think without a headache."

"Fine," Arnold agreed. "Do you mind waiting in the other room until I put on my clothes? I'll let you come back once I'm ready"

"Of course," Gerald said. He went into his room, sighing. He couldn't believe what Arnold was planning on doing. Surely, Arnold could have changed his mind, but Gerald wasn't going to take any chances. He quietly snuck out of his room and headed to the one person he knew Arnold would listen to.

* * *

"We need to figure out how to get rid of this ghost," Sid told Stinky. They were sitting in the dining saloon, slumping over their plates. They hardly got any sleep since they were preoccupied with paranoia that they might start to smell the clues that Sour McGee would come back. Sid did smell lemon, but it turned out that Stinky was eating lemon pudding. How he could still be eating lemon pudding after that story, Sid will never understand.

"She has got to be around here somewhere," Stinky said, slowly turning his head around the room, looking for the one housekeeper that could help them. "She was here yesterday."

"She's always here, Stinky," Sid remarked. "We're on a ship. No one can leave unless they jump, and I doubt anyone will jump into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean."

"I know that," Stinky said. "I'm not an idiot. I was talking about the dining saloon. She was in this room when we had breakfast yesterday, so she should be here again."

"What makes you think that?" Sid asked.

"Because he's right," Patty said. Sid and Stinky jumped at her sudden appearance next to them. "You two are pretty jumpy. For a moment there, I thought you were near death. You almost fell into your food."

"It's been a long night, Miss Patty," Stinky explained. "We were too afraid to sleep because of the tale you told us yesterday."

"And here I thought you were celebrating your success with the skits last night," Patty smirked. She pulled out a chair and sat next to them. "I didn't realize you were so afraid of that, or I wouldn't have said anything."

"Is there anything that can be done get rid of Sour McGee's ghost or keep him away?" Sid asked with a hopeful look in his drowsy, dark circles eyes.

"There might be," Patty said as she pondered their request. "I believe there is, but I'm not completely sure. I could have sworn someone in the crew mentioned a way to do it."

"Well, can you think of it quickly?" Sid asked impatiently. "We would like to be able have a good night's sleep at least another night on this bloody ship."

"Not to be rude, Miss Patty, but we would like to know as soon as we could," Stinky asked politely. "Tuesday seems like an awful long time without a lot of sleep."

"I understand," Patty replied, still trying to think. "Let's see, there I believe there was mention about a quarrel among friends."

"What kind of quarrel?" Sid asked.

"One thing I forgot to mention was Sour McGee had an argument with two of his closest friends before committing suicide. When he received the letter from the woman he loved, he wanted to go after her. His friends told him he was being unreasonable and refused to let him leave. They actually locked him up in the cabin until he came to his senses. When they came back, it was too late. They say that he couldn't forgive his friends for treating him that way. They also say when there are friends who are fighting, he would torment the ones to blame for the fighting. He would continue to haunt them until the fighting stopped."

The two companions sat and stared at each other, trying to take in what Patty just said. It took them awhile because they were so exhausted.

"Wow," Sid muttered. "I can't believe Sour McGee had friends."

"I'm surprised, too," Stinky agreed. "Who would be friends with someone who smelled so badly?"

Patty sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're missing the point," she said. "Has there been any fighting or disagreements in your cabin since you've been on board?"

Sid and Stinky looked at each other, and then at their plates. They didn't want to admit their problems with Harold. Not to the person who he likes. They were too tired to think of why she would even ask if there were fighting, especially if she was talking to Harold. Harold should have told her, they should have thought if their minds were operating properly. But alas, they weren't.

"I'm guessing there is," Patty guessed, although she already knew the answer. "Well, if I were you, I would suggest finding a way to get everyone to get along, or else you'll be haunted until you get off the ship. It's something to think about." Patty got up and left, leaving the two men to their thoughts.

"So what do we do?" Stinky asked Sid.

"It sounds like we either try to figure things out with Harold, or we deal with the haunting for the next four nights," Sid said.

"Do you think we can figure this out after we had some sleep? I'm unable to think of anything else."

"I believe that answered our question," Sid said. "After some more sleep, we'll talk to Harold and try and figure things out."

"Agreed."

Patty smiled at her hiding place in the saloon when she heard Sid and Stinky's plan. She left the dining room and went to do her rounds. Soon, she saw Harold heading her way.

"Good morning, Harold," she said sweetly. "Did you sleep well?"

"For the most part," Harold replied. "Sid and Stinky kept waking up, freaking out if they smelled something. Did you say anything to them to make them act this way?"

Patty smiled. "I just gave them something to think about. But I have a feeling that they will want to talk to you today."

Harold looked at her. "What are you talking about? Is this about what happened last night? I'm so confused!"

"Don't worry about it," Patty assured him. "Everything is going to be fine. You just need to trust me that it all will work out."

Harold nodded, deciding to believe her. She hasn't steered him wrong yet, and she appeared to have his best interest at heart. "I trust you."

* * *

Helga couldn't help but smirk about the events that occurred the night before. She and Maggie watched as the fight between Lila and Arnold unfolded. They were too far away to hear what was being said, but they saw their expressions, and Helga enjoyed seeing Lila falter. On the other hand, she was a bit unnerved by how Arnold acted. She knew he was never one to behave as such unless he was pushed to his limit. That was how she knew that Lila was nothing but trouble. Helga knew that Phoebe was going to help Nadine with her work that day, and had hopes that she could figure out what exactly is the deal with the redheaded manipulator.

"You were saying that Gerald came back last night?" Helga asked Phoebe in a strained voice as Phoebe tightened the corset.

"Indeed, he did," the maid replied, pulling on the strings. "He looked exhausted, and it was understandable why."

"Care to explain what happened?" Helga held onto the bed post, grunting with each tug of the laces.

"On his way back to his cabin, a steward came and said Mr. Shortman was in the smoking room. Apparently he had too much to drink. He was being defiant and when Gerald got him, he was saying some horrible things about Miss Sawyer. Some of which I can never repeat. Or would want to."

Helga chuckled. "I guess he's been around me for too long. Can't you give me at least one thing he said?"

"I believe it was something to the effect of her belonging with donkeys or being one," Phoebe answered, finishing with the corset and grabbing a dress from the wardrobe. "I'm not quite sure. Gerald said them better."

"I can only imagine," Helga said thoughtfully as she stepped into her dress. "I can't believe Arnold got himself drunk, though. It is so unlike him. He hates drinking."

"He must really dislike Miss Sawyer then," Phoebe suggested while buttoning the dress. "Although I must admit, his behavior between what you and Gerald said sounded appalling. How can any man behave in such a fashion?"

"Don't you understand?" Helga asked. "She drove him to behave that way. She's a bad influence and will ruin him if she isn't stopped."

"Why do you care if Mr. Shortman is terrorized by Miss Sawyer?" Phoebe asked, returning to her role as the ignorant maid. She continued to hope that the two would finally admit their feelings toward one another.

"I-I, uh, well…" Helga stuttered, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to say. Even though she knew people knew, she still couldn't bring herself to admit it. At least, not yet.

A knock on the door became her saving grace. Phoebe went to answer it. Outside was Rhonda.

"Is Helga here?" she asked. Phoebe nodded and opened the door wider. Just as Rhonda was about to enter, she was knocked down to the ground by someone. "Get off of me!" Rhonda squealed to the person who knocked her down.

"I am so sorry, Miss Lloyd," Gerald said. He moved next to her and helped her up. "I just need to talk to Miss Pataki about something important."

"Well, get in line, because I need to speak with Helga first," she scolded.

"What is going on?" Helga asked as walked towards the door. "Rhonda? Gerald? What are you two doing here?"

"I need to talk to you!" they said simultaneously. They looked at each other, and then to Helga. Helga looked to Phoebe.

"Who was here first?" Helga asked her maid. Phoebe motioned to Rhonda. "All right. You go first, Princess."

Rhonda rolled her eyes at the nickname. "There is something I wish to discuss with you and Arnold. It involves Lila. She wants me to do something that will harm the both of you, and I wanted to warn you."

Helga looked at her dumbfounded. "Why should I believe you?" Helga asked. "You're friends with Lila. How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"Lila is hardly a friend," Rhonda said. "She is a thorn in my side that has been pestering for too long. I'm trying to remove it without her knowing it."

Helga blinked her eyes several times. "Gerald, what do you want?"

"It's Mr. Shortman," he said. "He's thinking of apologizing to Miss Sawyer about what he said to her last night."

"He's about to what?" Helga asked, trying to make sure she heard that correctly.

"Apologize to Miss Sawyer," Gerald repeated. Helga, Phoebe, and Rhonda looked at him in shock.

"Why would he do that?" Rhonda asked. "It's a suicide mission. She'll claw her way back in. He needs to be stopped."

"I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't listen to me," Gerald informed. "The only person know he will listen to is Miss Pataki, so I came right over."

Helga took a deep breath. She couldn't allow Arnold to get close to Lila. Not again. "Gerald, lead the way."

The four scrambled to Arnold's stateroom room. Gerald went into his room and told the women to stay outside Arnold's door. The women obliged and waited to be allowed in. Arnold's door opened and Gerald looked out to them with a worried look.

"What is it?" Helga asked.

"He's not here."


	13. Only So Many Hiding Places

**A/N: I began writing this literally hours after posting the last chapter. I felt one more gift was needed. Sadly I will be working five days in a row, so it will be difficult to get something out immediately, but I will do my best to get as much as I can out to you guys.**

"What do you mean he's not here?" a panicked Helga asked Gerald. She pushed her way through the door and inside the vacant room. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," Gerald shrugged. "He asked that I wait inside my room while he put on some clothes and that's when I rushed over to your cabin. That was barely ten minutes."

"He must have been a quick dresser," Helga suggested, trying not to think of the exact wording Gerald said. She did notice that he said 'putting on clothes' and not 'getting dressed,' but that wasn't the time for such thoughts. "Do you think he could have gone to Lila's cabin?"

"It's a possibility," Gerald replied. "Or he could have merely went to the dining saloon for breakfast. Yesterday morning he went to the swimming pool to do a few laps."

"I can go over to Lila's room," Rhonda offered. "I'm the only one she'll allow in her cabin anyways. Even if he's not there, I can distract her to make sure she doesn't search for him."

"I can stay on this deck and see if he comes back," Phoebe mentioned. "And then I can bring him back to you, Miss Pataki."

"I'll search the swimming pool," Gerald said. "So, Miss Pataki, that leaves you with the dining saloon. I'll escort you there."

"Thank you," Helga said. "Alright, whoever finds him, bring him to the lounge. All of us will meet there at ten o'clock. If you need to eat, make sure you do quickly. Rhonda, do you think Nadine will be able to help us?"

"If I can find her, I'll have her check the upper deck," Rhonda told them. "Sometimes it's so difficult to know where she's went. But I may be able to get one of the stewards to help as well."

"Good to know," Helga said, breathing heavily. "Now let's go find Arnold."

* * *

Rhonda made her way to Lila's cabin one deck above where Arnold and Helga's are located. She checked some of the common rooms along her way to find Arnold wasn't in any of them. She was relieved to see Nadine along her way.

"Nadine!" Rhonda cried out. Nadine frozen her position and nervously looked at her tempered employer.

"Yes, Miss Lloyd?" Nadine asked timidly.

"I need you to do me a favor," Rhonda requested. "I'm looking for Mr. Shortman. If you find him, ask him to head to the lounge immediately. Better yet, go with him to the lounge and make sure he stays there. Either Miss Pataki, Gerald, Phoebe, or I will be there around ten o'clock. And I ask that you do not inform Miss Sawyer about this. She does not need to know what is going on."

"Of course, miss," Nadine obeyed, curtseying. "Where do you want me to search for him?"

"Start with common areas and the promenade," Rhonda ordered. "Then work your way down the decks. If you pass by any of the others looking for him, continue to go down and recheck areas down below. It is possible they could have missed him."

"Yes, miss," Nadine said. "And miss? What about my chores?"

"Right now, Nadine, finding Mr. Shortman is more important than your chores. You can do them later. You can wait on my cabin and make sure to care for Miss Sawyer's room, so she doesn't appear suspicious. I cannot stress how important it is for you to help us find him and not tell Miss Sawyer anything. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, miss," Nadine replied, nodding her head.

"Thank you, Nadine," Rhonda said. "Again, meet us at the lounge at ten o'clock."

"Yes, miss," Nadine said as Rhonda headed off to Lila's cabin. Nadine stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what happened. Rhonda was polite to her. She even thanked Nadine for her help! She's never done that before, albeit she's only been working for Rhonda for a short time. And why did Rhonda not want her saying anything to Lila about seeing Arnold? And she's working with Helga? Something odd was going on, and Nadine wanted to know what. Quickly, she hurried to the promenade to begin the search.

"Rhonda! I'm ever so surprised to see you here!" Lila said as she opened the door to see a disheveled Rhonda standing behind it. "Is everything okay with you? It appears Nadine didn't do a good job on your hair this morning."

"What are you talking about?" Rhonda asked. She entered Lila's room, which thankfully didn't house Arnold at the moment. She looked in the mirror to find her hair hadn't been styled properly. Any other day, she would have been mad. Today, however, there were more important matters than her hair. But she couldn't let Lila know.

"Ugh, that girl," Rhonda scoffed, trying to sound believable. "I swear, she's going to be the death of me one of these days. But that is not why I'm here."

"Then why are you?" Lila asked.

It was a good question. Rhonda of course knew the answer, but she couldn't admit it. She was so focused on getting to Lila's room and making sure Nadine would help to come up with a lie to tell her. She had to think quickly of what Lila would want to hear, and soon Rhonda remembered what was making her upset in the first place.

"I came here to tell you that I believe I came up with a solution to your little Arnold/Helga problem," Rhonda smirked.

"That is oh so marvelous news!" Lila exclaimed. "So, what's the plan?"

"The plan?" Rhonda repeated. "Well, it's a great plan. I think you will like it very much."

"That's wonderful and all, but I want to know how exactly you're going to separate the two and make sure they never end up together."

How can Rhonda make sure they stayed apart? She didn't think that far ahead and she was scrambling for inspiration. _Just think,_ she thought. _Why did all of Lila's plans failed? What did they all have in common? _Then it clicked.

"The problem with the earlier attempts was the focus was changing Arnold's opinion," Rhonda said. "He's easiness to sway was both our triumph and downfall to getting him into your arms. We need to turn our focus onto Helga. Her mind isn't easily so swayed, so she needs to see Arnold doing something she would never forgive him for."

"I'm intrigued already," Lila smirked. "And pray tell me, what would this oh so special action be that would make it despise Arnold?"

"The same thing you would hate to see: Arnold in the arms of another woman," Rhonda thought extemporaneously. "A woman of high status she could probably forgive, but someone way below his level… well, that would certainly be embarrassing."

Lila wrinkled her nose. "Is that a snub at me?"

"How can that be when no one here knows you came from?" Rhonda asked. "Besides, I was thinking more of using one of the housekeepers. We pay her handsomely to do this. I get Arnold to come to the room that has her in it. While she keeps him occupied, I will tell Helga that Arnold is looking for her and for her to go to that room. When she comes in, she'll be enraged by what she sees. She'll never want to see him ever again!"

Rhonda didn't know where all of that came from, but she hoped that Lila would buy it. Lila kept quiet and looked at Rhonda carefully. _Oh no! What if she didn't buy it? Keep calm! Don't let her see you're nervous!_

Lila drew up a smirk. "Taking ideas from your own past, Rhonda?" Rhonda was confused at first by what she meant by that. She thought of the plan and saw that it was similar to what began everything between Rhonda and Lila.

Rhonda chuckled. "Why mess with something else when you have something that has been shown to work?" she asked.

"It's ingenious," Lila said. "When were you planning on this happening?"

"Before dinner," Rhonda answered quickly. "And make create more tension, we have them sit next to each other. Helga will get so angry that she will explode. I know she will, and it will be an amazing sight."

"My, my Rhonda," Lila giggled. "You are ever so wicked! If only I could see it happen, but I believe it best I don't. That way they can't trace it back to me."

"A smart decision," Rhonda replied. She looked at the clock and noticed it was almost time. She sighed in relief that Arnold didn't attempt to come to the room. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go find that insipid girl and get her to fix this monstrosity. No need to look horrible when there's much work to be done." Rhonda bid her goodbyes to Lila and hurried off to the lounge.

* * *

"What in his right mind would possess him to apologize to her?" Helga asked Gerald as they traveled down the decks to their desired locations.

"He believes that it is the right thing to do," Gerald explained. "He woke up feeling guilty that he talked to Miss Sawyer the way he did and decided that he should apologize for his actions, although he isn't sorry for not loving her back."

"Is he a masochist or something?" Helga asked. "He seems to enjoy the pain inflicted on him."

_He'd have to be if he's in love with you,_ Gerald thought, smiling to himself. "I'm not sure, miss," he answered.

"This is so typical of him," Helga said while rolling her eyes. "Of course he has to try and be the polite one. It makes me wonder sometimes how I ever lo-" Helga closed her mouth instantly. Gerald looked over at the blushing blonde. Did she almost say "love?"

"What was that?" Gerald asked, hoping that finally one of them would finally admit it. Helga was about to come up with something when the two landed at D deck, where the dining room was located.

"I guess this is where you leave me," Helga chuckled nervously. "I'll see you in the lounge!" Helga sped off into the saloon before anyone can say anything.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm," Gerald mumbled while shaking his head as he watched Helga run off. "They're both out of their minds!"

Helga entered the dining room and began searching for the blonde man. The saloon was crowded, which made it difficult to find him. She looked at each table with no luck. _Where could he be? Oh, Arnold, please don't be anywhere near Lila! Don't let her callous claws take you away from me! Not when I haven't had the chance to finally tell you that I lo-_

"Ow!" Helga screeched as she collided with something hard and fell onto the tiled floor of the dining saloon. The room grew silent and looked over at the fallen blonde. She tried to move but something heavy was pinning her down. "Watch where you're going! And get off of me!"

"I'm so sorry, Helga," A male voice said. Helga looked up to see the man she was searching for. He had begun to get off of her and offered his hand to her.

"Arnold!" she exclaimed softly as she placed her hand in his. Her eyes looked up to his. They were so beautiful. Helga always loved them, just as Arnold had always loved Helga's. Helga almost became lost in them when she remembered why she was looking for him. "Of course the Football Head I was looking for just had to knock me to the ground."

"You were looking for me?" Arnold smirked as he pulled her off the floor. She dusted herself off and the crowd that was staring at them resumed to their meals. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"I had just been informed that you were about to commit a heinous crime and I was told I was the only one who could stop you," Helga informed him.

"Is that so?" Arnold eyed her curiously. "Do tell me, what sort of attempted crime am I being found guilty for?"

"Apologizing to a woman who has obviously driven you onto the brink of madness," Helga said dramatically while fanning herself.

"And for what exactly am I apologizing to you?" Arnold asked teasingly, smiling at her. Helga wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue at him. "How mature."

"I'm sorry, but I don't recall upsetting you so much that you wound up drinking to no end," Helga pointed out.

Arnold's grin dropped into a frown. "I see Gerald has told you what happened," he muttered. "Do you mind if we take this elsewhere? I don't believe it is anyone's business but ours and we've already made quite the spectacle of ourselves this morning."

Helga nodded. "We are needed in the lounge," she informed him as she headed out of the saloon with Arnold beside her. "Rhonda wishes to speak with us."

Arnold's brows furrowed and looked over at Helga. "Rhonda? What does she want?"

"She told me that Lila is wanting her to make sure that you and I are kept away from each other," Helga said as she recited Rhonda's intentions. She went to the elevators and told the controller A deck. The doors closed and the lift ascended. They didn't speak while in the elevator, for there were other people in it. When they reached A deck, they got out and walked towards the lounge.

"From what the princess says, she and Lila actually do not get along," Helga continued when the coast was clear. "She called Lila a thorn in her side."

"Do you actually believe her?" Arnold asked, skeptical of Rhonda. He wasn't sure if they could. He always knew whenever Lila was around, Rhonda couldn't be too far behind. He didn't forget when she shanghaied him into sitting next to Lila and Helga next to Brainy.

"I'm not sure," Helga admitted. "That is why I want to talk with her. I need to know why she is telling us all of this and if what she's saying is true. But for now, can we get back to your suicide mission on apologizing to Lila?"

"I'd rather not," Arnold said as they entered the lounge. They managed to find several chairs in the far corner of the room and took seats there. "However, it appears that you won't let this go until we talk about it, so go ahead."

"Why would you do that?" Helga asked. "You don't like her. It's apparent she pushes you to the brink of insanity."

"It's the right thing to do," Arnold explained for what he felt was the hundredth time that morning. "I feel bad about talking to her in such a way. You know I'm not like that."

"I'm aware of that," Helga replied. "What I didn't realize is you take such pleasure in being in pain. You know apologizing to her won't end well, yet you feel an obligation to do so."

"How do you know it won't end well?" Arnold asked. "Since you're so certain it won't?"

"Let me ask you this: has any interaction with her ended well for you?" Helga asked him. He opened his mouth to object to her insinuations, but he shut his mouth, for he didn't have any. Any time he tried to talk to Lila, he was met with an unhappy end. Even with the last time they spoke, he ended up drinking more than normal. However, he had already took notice of this before Helga found him, and he decided now was the time to tell her his choice.

"I understand what you're saying," Arnold said. "And I had come to the same conclusion about what to do over breakfast."

"Excuse me?" Helga asked, confused by what he said.

"I was thinking about what I should do with Lila, and I realized the best thing to do is to stay away from her," Arnold replied. Helga blinked several times to try and comprehend the situation.

"If you already made that decision, then why did you let me go on about why you shouldn't?" Helga asked, flabbergasted by his farce.

"I was curious about what you had to say," he smirked. Helga growled softly, realizing she had been played.

"Criminy!" Helga exclaimed. "You're so infuriating! I swear, sometimes I think you like teasing me on purpose."

Arnold laughed. She was right in her hypothesis; teasing her was one of his favorite pastimes, although it appeared to be more flirting than teasing. If he could do it all day, he would.

"You're kind of adorable when you're angry," he said without thinking. When he realized what he said, he closed his mouth tightly. Helga's anger subsided into shock.

_Did he just say that?_

_Did I just say that?_

The two blondes sat facing each other, neither one able to utter a sound. They sat there for what must have felt like hours, staring at each other in silence. It was soon broken by the chattering of Rhonda and the servants.

"Good!" Rhonda exclaimed. "You found him!" The four went to over to where the mute blondes were sitting.

"Did we interrupt something?" Gerald asked, noticing the odd behavior between them. Both shook their heads.

"Of course not," Helga scoffed. "Football Head over here told me that he isn't going to apologize to Lila. Now can we go on with this whole thing about Lila not wanting us around each other or something of that nature?"

"Right," Rhonda said. "I only need to speak to the both of you so if you don't mind, I would like for the servants to leave." Arnold and Helga agreed and the servants left the room. "It's complicated, but Lila wants me to make sure that you two aren't around each other."

"Just why exactly?" Arnold asked. That was when Rhonda realized she couldn't tell them the truth. They couldn't know the real reason behind Lila's request.

"She believes that she is a bad influence on you," Rhonda said. At least it wasn't too far from the truth. "Lila is under this delusion that Helga is the reason you can't love her."

_It's not the only reason, _Arnold thought. "So why are you telling us this?"

Rhonda took a deep breath, hoping she could trust them. Well, that she could trust Helga, since she knew Arnold was trustworthy. "Lila knows a secret about me, and she'll keep it only if I help her. First it was trying to get her and you together, Arnold. And when that didn't work, she thought that finding a way to keep you two away from each other would be the next best thing. I am against the whole thing, and I don't want to do it."

"So, is this a warning that your secret is going to be told to the world?" Helga asked. The whole thing didn't make sense to her. If it was a big secret, Rhonda would do everything in her power to keep it quiet.

"No," Rhonda answered. "What I had in mind is a little more devious. What I suggest is we allow Lila to believe you two are no longer friends, but you have to make a big scene so Lila won't think that this a trick. She will need to see it for herself. She isn't the brightest person, but she isn't that clueless, either."

"Interesting so far," Helga contemplated the plan. "She only believes she won, while you get to keep your secret."

"Exactly," Rhonda smirked. "She won't figure it out either if you can keep up the charade that you two don't like each other anymore. And from how I've seen you interact at different events, that should be fairly easy."

Arnold and Helga gave her a look. Sure they fought at times, but it was playful. Even if they were mad at each other, it never lasted long. At that point, Helga had long forgotten that she was mad at Arnold for saying no to her the day before.

"How exactly are we supposed to make Lila believe that we don't want to be friends?" Arnold asked.

"It's simple, really," Rhonda replied. "Helga's going to pretend she's mad about something you did and yell at you in front of the entire dinner table."

Arnold shook his head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but why does Helga get to yell at me in public? Why can't I be mad at her?"

"There are a couple of reasons," Rhonda said. "One of the main ones is when I was keeping Lila distracted, I told her that trying to make you change your mind about Helga was easy. However, it was also easy for you to change your mind back. With Helga, she isn't easily swayed. Therefore, if she's mad, people are going to think that she'll be mad for a long time. Am I right, Helga?"

Helga nodded in agreement. "Don't think I forgot the first night with Brainy," she mentioned. She was still mad at Rhonda for that little setup.

"Think of this as a way of me making it up to you for that," Rhonda said. "I am truly sorry for that. I know there is much I need to do, but it can be a start. I know you and I have never gotten along well in the past, but please believe me when I say I don't want Lila to win."

Helga sat there silently for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. "Do you mind if I talk to Arnold for a moment?"

"Take your time," Rhonda said. "But not too much. If you agree to this plan, we will need to make sure that everything is ready by tonight. I'll meet you in the Palm Court for tea and we can discuss it." Rhonda got up and left, leaving the two blondes on their own once again.

"What do you think?" Arnold asked her.

"I'm still skeptical," Helga said. "I don't know if I can trust her. She's tried to hurt me so much before. How do I know this isn't another trick?"

"She does appear sincere," Arnold assured her. "And she apologized for what she did."

"And that makes you believe her?" Helga scoffed while rolling her eyes.

"Not at all," Arnold said. Helga looked at him in confusion. "What does make me believe her is that she has some selfish intentions behind her telling us. She's trying to regain some power that she lost to Lila. If she said she was doing this because she wanted to help us, then I wouldn't believe what she said."

Arnold did have a point, but Helga was still unsure if she could believe Rhonda. But she did believe in Arnold. And if Arnold could somehow believe Rhonda, so could she.

"I guess I have to start figuring out what to be mad at you about," Helga decided.


	14. Forgive Those Who Trespassed Against Us

**A/N: I've been doing the best I could with these updates, although some days it proves to be a bit difficult. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"Do you realize how worried I was?" Gerald asked his employer once he returned to the stateroom. Arnold had his meeting with Helga and Rhonda, satisfied with the plan they created. When they finished, Arnold decided to walk around to clear his head, soon followed by luncheon. It was teatime and Arnold knew Helga would be meeting with Rhonda to discuss the plan. Arnold wanted to join, but Rhonda insisted on meeting with Helga alone, so Arnold decided to return to his room. Gerald didn't give Arnold much time gather his thoughts together when he pounced on him for his actions earlier that morning.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Arnold joked, believing this to be about him taking a while to return to the room. "I didn't realize how concerned you would be. Next time I won't stay out so late."

"I'm not talking about just now!" Gerald scoffed, waving his hands around. "I'm gone for a moment and you disappear! I really thought you were going to go after Lila and apologize. Why didn't you wait until I came back?"

Arnold shrugged. "I got hungry. I looked into your room and saw you weren't there. I thought you went to see Phoebe. So I finished getting dressed and went to the dining room."

"You couldn't have left a note or anything?" Gerald asked.

"I said I am sorry," Arnold repeated. "I didn't realize you would be taking this so poorly."

"I was just concerned," Gerald muttered, sitting down. "Speaking of concern, were you and Helga okay before we found you two? You both seemed… stunned about something. What were you talking about?"

Arnold's face went red. He had hoped that Gerald would have forgotten what he and Helga looked like when they came in. He had almost forgotten himself because of the news Rhonda told him.

"I said something embarrassing about her and neither one of us knew how to respond to it," Arnold explained, hoping it would suffice.

"About her?" Gerald repeated. "What did you say about her that was so embarrassing it left her speechless?"

Arnold cursed himself for his little slipup, and for Gerald to notice it. He had no idea how he was going to get out of it this time. He was going to have to tell Gerald the truth. Arnold was about to open his mouth when a knock came from the door. Gerald got up from his seat and went to the door.

_Thank you whoever is at the door, _Arnold thought to himself. _You have no idea what embarrassment you spared me. I owe you so much._

"Um, sir?" Gerald called to his distracted employer. Arnold shook the thoughts from his head and looked at Gerald.

"Yes, Gerald? Who was it at the door?" he asked. "What did they want?"

"It _is _Miss Sawyer," Gerald forced out. "She wishes to speak to you."

* * *

The weather was beautiful that day, so Harold decided to go outside on the deck and enjoy it. Being inside got a bit stuffy at times, so Harold could use some fresh air. As he walked underneath the rays from the sun, he thought of what Patty told him. What did she mean that things will work out? Why were Sid and Stinky acting so strange? And why were they so preoccupied with the odors of the room? The more Harold tried to think about it, the more confused he became about everything.

"Harold?" a small voice said behind him. Harold spun around to find his former comrades standing there. Harold was about to walk off when Sid grabbed his arm. "Please talk to us. It's important."

"For the last time, I didn't steal that money!" Harold exclaimed. "I don't know where it went, but I don't have it."

"We came to say we're sorry, Harold," Stinky drawled. "We shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about the money, and we feel awfully sorry for how we treated you."

Harold relaxed the muscles in his body and stared at them. Were they being sincere? How could they have gone from avoiding him to suddenly changing their minds in almost an instant? "What made you change your minds?" he asked them.

"Patty did," Sid said. Harold looked at them in confusion. "She told us about the ghost in our room."

"What ghost?" Harold asked, dumbfounded.

"His name is Sour McGee," Stinky informed Harold. "He gets mad when friends are fighting and he haunts those who are to be blamed for the fight. When he is about to appear, you can smell the foulest odor ever known, followed by lemons. The lemons make me want lemon pudding so bad."

"We smelled the odor before," Sid chimed in, "and Patty told us the only way to get rid of Sour McGee is to make amends with you."

Harold looked at them with his mouth agape. He was in utter disbelief at what they just said. "So, you mean to tell me that the only reason you're apologizing is because of some ghost story?"

"We do believe that you are innocent," Stinky assured him. "But we don't want to deal with the wrath of a ghost, either." Sid elbowed him in the gut. "Ouch! What did I say?"

"I don't believe you two," Harold muttered. "I thought we were friends."

"We _are _friends, Harold," Sid said. "Okay, so maybe we shouldn't have said anything about Sour McGee, but Patty did make us realize how wrong we are. She really does care about you, you know."

Harold's hands curled into fists. "It isn't that you said anything about Sour McGee," Harold told them. "It's the fact that you were so quick to believe that I took the money in the first place and you wouldn't believe me. If you two were really my friends, you would have believed me when I said I had no idea where the money is."

Sid sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "We should have believed you. And we're both sorry for that."

"We really are," Stinky included. "Maybe then you wouldn't have had thought of splitting the money so you would get more than us."

Harold eyed both men. "Who told you that?" he asked. "Because I don't remember telling you that was what I was wanting to do."

"Eugene told us," Sid answered. "He said that you felt you deserved more of the pay because of your acts."

"I never said that!" Harold cried out, waving his hands. "Eugene was the one who suggested I should get more. He said the reason you wanted it equally was because you were jealous that he and I got more laughs than the two of you."

"What?" both men said.

"We aren't jealous!" Sid said. "We were actually surprised that you did what you did, whether it was an accident or not."

"It was pretty funny," Stinky agreed. "But why would Eugene say all of that?"

"I don't know," Sid said. "But we're going to find out."

"Exactly how?" Harold asked him.

"I don't know," Sid said. "But we will figure it out. The next question is, do you forgive us, Harold?"

Harold sighed. "It appears that he tricked you into thinking I did it, so it wasn't your fault." Harold shook both their hands in forgiveness. "Now let's go see what this bastard's up is planning."

* * *

After being excused from the lounge, Phoebe and Nadine decided it would be the best time to get working on their chores. Between the both of them, they were able to complete Lila's room in record time. They wanted to complete hers quickly just in case she walked in on them. Luckily she didn't come in while they were cleaning. When they got to Rhonda's room, they took their time.

"How is it working with the Pataki's?" Nadine asked Phoebe while polishing silver. "I can only imagine how it would be working with a family as… vociferous as them."

"I don't work for all of them," Phoebe explained as she cleaned the fireplace. "Just for Helga. Yes, she is vocal about things, but she is one of the best people I have ever met. And she is an amazing employee. She allows me to have holidays off so I can visit my family in Kentucky."

"How are you able to only work for her and not the rest of the Pataki's?" Nadine asked.

"Her parents hired me exclusively to make sure she looked presentable for outings and other various functions. She would wear inappropriate clothing to functions or would there would be mud on her dresses from her running around the streets. Her sister convinced her parents that she needed to learn to look and act like a lady. She got kicked out of finishing school just after two weeks. That's when her parents decided that just looking like a lady was more than enough. And that's when I was hired. I've worked for her ever since."

"Goodness," Nadine replied, looking over at her. "Would she be upset that you told me all of that about her?"

"Not at all," Phoebe answered. "She laughs at it. She really doesn't care what people say, although she refuses to admit just one thing about her."

"The fact that she and Mr. Shortman are in love with each other?" Nadine implied.

"Precisely," Phoebe confirmed, moving onto stripping the bed. "It's such a shame, honestly. They waste such valuable time that could be spent together on hiding their secret. How is it with Miss Lloyd?"

"She's… particular," Nadine said carefully. "She likes things done her way. If they aren't done so, then she gets cross, which isn't a pleasant experience."

"That's a pity," Phoebe replied. She knew it was time to initiate the plan for which was the reason she was helping Nadine. "How about Miss Sawyer? Does she treat you better?"

Nadine scoffed. "She's power hungry," she told Phoebe. "I would say she's even more controlling. It's not too surprising though, knowing where she came from."

"Where exactly did she come from?" Phoebe asked the other maid. Nadine bit her bottom lip, realizing she had said too much. As much as she wanted to trust Phoebe, it was too risky for anyone to know the truth.

"It doesn't matter," Nadine waved off. She looked at the clock. "I better get these sheets to the laundry room. I believe you also need to begin on Miss Pataki's room. Even though you said she most likely won't mind, I'm certain she would like to have a clean room for the night."

Phoebe sighed internally. She realized that she tried too soon to find things out, but perhaps there was still a chance for her to know the truth. She got up and went towards the door. "Yes, I better get to work on that. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be more than happy to help, and I'm more than certain Miss Pataki won't mind."

Nadine nodded and Phoebe left the room. Nadine took some time to gather all the laundry and went down to wash them. On her way, she ran into Curly.

"Hello, Curly," Nadine said cheerfully. Curly nodded towards her and continued on his way. Nadine followed after him. "My mistress is treating me better." Silence. "She hasn't yelled at me all day." Silence. "Granted, she's been preoccupied with something else, but it has distracted herself from my mistakes. I do believe that things are getting better."

Curly looked at her. "Have you told her what you know?" he asked. "Or blackmailed the friend to make sure she doesn't harm your mistress?"

"No," Nadine replied. "But it doesn't seem that I have to now. She seems to be taking care of things herself. I don't need to muddle the situation."

"And we don't need to be talking so personally anymore," Curly said. "I'm sorry but you're allowing someone else to take care of your problems instead of doing so yourself. I can't respect someone who is like that. Excuse me."

Once again, he left her behind. Nadine frowned as she watched him walk away from her. She breathed a heavy sigh and headed back the other way.

* * *

Helga and Rhonda sat at the wicker furniture of the Palm Court on A deck for their tea. Rhonda had insisted on meeting with Helga alone to hear the decision she and Arnold had chosen. Rhonda was thrilled to hear the news that they decided to help.

"You have no idea how important this is," Rhonda told Helga. "This will help keep my secret and Lila will never have to know that you two aren't speaking."

"I have to admit, I was skeptical about this," Helga said. "Even though I do love the idea of tricking Lila. I was wary that this would all be a trick."

"May I ask what changed your mind, then?" Rhonda asked, then sipped on her tea. "I'm assuming fooling Lila wasn't the main reason behind your alliance."

"You assumed correctly," Helga replied. She took some sugar and started mixing it in her tea. "You have Arnold to thank for me agreeing to help. He believed you when you mentioned your intentions of going behind Lila's back. Normally, he doesn't have the best record for trusting people, but he was certain about you, and that was good enough for me."

Rhonda chuckled. "You'll have to remind me to thank him when this is over. Speaking of Arnold, have you found a reason to be mad at him for dinner tonight?"

"Not yet," Helga admitted. "Sure he's annoyed me to no end plenty of times, but there hasn't been a time where I've been so mad that I would explode on him."

Rhonda took another sip. "Would you like to know what I told Lila?" Helga nodded, interested in what the princess decided upon. "I told her I was going to set it up so you would walk in on Arnold in the arms of one of the housekeepers."

Helga could feel the rage inside her fueling. She couldn't bear the thought of Arnold with any other woman but herself. There was, however, another emotion that overpowered her rage.

"Why would you choose something like that?" Helga asked. "What makes you think seeing Arnold with another woman would enrage me?"

Rhonda shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Helga, darling, you are so obvious it is not funny. Why else would Lila ask me to separate you and Arnold? You and Lila despise each other, and you also happen to love the same man. She's doing this to hurt you and try to get Arnold for herself. She believes that if you hate him, she'll actually have a chance with him."

Helga couldn't help but laugh. "She really isn't the smartest person, is she?"

"Not when it comes to men and what they like," Rhonda corrected her. "But in other matters, she is shrewd. She knows what she wants and will do whatever she can to make it possible. Lila doesn't care who she hurts in the process."

"I'm guessing she's hurt you?" Helga asked, hoping to get more information on the mysterious redhead.

"You can't even imagine," Rhonda laughed. "If I slip up, then my reputation is ruined. But going back to the plan, Lila knows you'll be jealous to see Arnold with another woman. I know you try to be nonchalant when it comes to him, but you aren't fooling anyone."

Helga sighed. _Does everyone know about it? Well, I guess if I'm not fooling anyone, I could use some help in getting his attention. And Rhonda will probably owe me for this._

"How do I get him to notice me?" she asked. Rhonda mentally shook her head in disbelief. How is it that Helga couldn't notice the way Arnold looks at her? If anything, he is more obvious about his feelings than she is. But Rhonda was flattered that Helga would trust her enough to help her with this.

"Excuse me," a steward said. The two women looked up at him. In his hands was an envelope. "I apologize for disturbing you, but I have a letter for Miss Pataki."

Helga extended her hand out to the steward. "Who sent it?" she asked.

"The person wished to remain anonymous," he replied as he handed her the letter. He bowed and left them. Helga opened the envelope and read the contents.

"What is it?" Rhonda asked. Helga finished and looked at her.

"It's from Arnold," Helga said. "He's asking that I meet him in his room at three thirty." Helga looked at a clock. "That's in ten minutes!"

She stood and apologized for having to leave.

"Nonsense," Rhonda replied, standing up as well. "I'll join you. There was something I wished to discuss with him as well." The two left the room and headed down one deck to Arnold's room.

* * *

"Lila?" Arnold asked. He went to the door hoping that Gerald was joking. To say he was disappointed when he saw the redheaded woman was an understatement. "What are you doing here? I thought you would have realized I don't want to be around you."

"Can we talk?" Lila asked, then looked over to Gerald. "Alone? I promise it won't take long."

Lila had a sad look in her eyes, appearing distraught. Despite everything that has happened, Arnold couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But he knew better than to trust her completely. Arnold went over to Gerald. "Could you give us a moment alone?" he whispered. "I promise this won't take long."

"Are you serious?" Gerald whispered back. "You really want to be in a room with her alone? She can't be trusted!"

"I'm well aware of that," Arnold retorted in a hushed tone. "I'm just going to listen to what she has to say and have her leave. If I don't come get you in five minutes, come in with an excuse that I'm needed somewhere urgently."

"Yes, sir," he muttered. "Although I would like to on record and say that I don't like this one bit." He bowed slightly and left to his room. Arnold turned and faced the one person he dreaded.

"What do you want to talk about, Lila?" he asked tensely.

Lila approached him meekly. "I came to apologize for my behavior."

Arnold eyed her cautiously. "Why should I believe you?" he asked. "You've done nothing but lie to me this whole time. How can I believe anything you have to say?"

"You shouldn't," Lila agreed. Arnold's face scrunched up by her declaration. "You are right. I haven't been honest with you during this voyage. I have lied about Helga being with a German spy. And I haven't been honest about my past."

"Honest about your past?" Arnold scoffed. "You haven't said anything about it, let alone lie about it!"

"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think you would accept me for who I am," Lila explained. "But now, I will tell you the truth. My father is in the farming industry in Pennsylvania. He creates farming equipment to help with the crops. He and my mother met at a young age and fell in love. They… consummated their love before getting married and I was conceived at that time. They were able to get married before I was born, but everyone knew what happened. I've had to carry that shame with me for years."

Arnold sat as he listened to her story. She appeared to be telling the truth. He could see the shame in her eyes. "I appreciate your honesty, Lila," he said. "And if you had just told me that from the beginning, then maybe none of this would have happened."

"I understand that now," Lila said softly. "And no amount of apologies could ever take back what I did to you. I ever so hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Arnold breathed a heavy sigh. He can see how remorseful she was for all she did to him and Helga. Lila was turning over a new leaf, and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "I'll forgive you this time, Lila," he said. "But this is your only chance."

"Oh thank you ever so much!" she squealed. She ran to where he was sitting and hugged him tightly. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her. Not sure what to do, he patted her back. She pulled back slightly to look at him.

"This is a token for a new friendship," she said sweetly. Arnold looked at her confused, and then in shock when he felt her lips pressed against his. He sat there in shock, not knowing what to do.

"What the-?" a voice called. Arnold pushed Lila away to see Gerald looking wide eyed. But he wasn't looking at the two who were just kissing. Arnold followed his gaze at the front door. There stood two people. One had a look of astonishment while the other remained stoic. The former belonged to Rhonda. The owner of the stoic face belonged to the one person Arnold didn't want to see this.

"Helga."

**A/N: I know, I'm cruel, horrible, evil, whatever you want to call me. I honestly didn't have that planned at first. It was one of those moments that just came to me and I figured why not go with it? Now I have some interesting events planned for the next couple of chapters, which I hope to have up soon. Thank you all for your patience! I promise it will be worthwhile.**


	15. Comatose

**A/N: If I have timed this correctly, there will be two more chapters after this one until this day ends. It's crazy to think that we're about halfway through the voyage, but we are not even close to halfway through the story. There's still plenty more drama to be had, so you better strap in tightly, because it's going to get bumpy.**

The muffled humming of the ship's engines was the only sound that could be heard in Arnold's stateroom. No one dared speak, for they knew not what to say. Four sets of eyes set their gaze upon the blonde female in the room, anxiously awaiting her response to what has just occurred. Hers were fixated on the man who she loved. The betrayal she felt welled up in her eyes. She could feel the tears approaching, but she refused to let them see, especially the redheaded demon shivering with anticipation to see her falter. With a soft shake of her head, she departed from the room.

"Helga," Arnold whispered as she disappeared from his sight. "Helga!" He jumped from his seat and ran to the door. He cried her name out once more when he reached the threshold. He peered down the corridor to find that she had already vanished. The sorrow and guilt was bursting in his heart was he yearned for her. Panting, he turned to his head back to the source of his currently despair.

"Why would you do that?" he cried to her. "You finally admit the truth to me and I had forgiven you. Then you go and do that! You just ruined your second chance with me."

Lila looked at him from where she was sitting, retaining the same innocent expression that was always plastered on her face. Arnold scoffed and walked out into the corridor. He wasn't sure where she went, but he had to find her.

Back in Arnold's room, only three remained. Gerald was the next to regain his motion. He went over to Lila, and used all the strength he can muster to be polite.

"I suggest that you and Miss Lloyd leave, Miss Sawyer," Gerald said. Lila's pure face glared at him as she stepped away from where she stood and walked out the door. Rhonda looked at Gerald, still horrified by she saw. Slowly, she turned and followed Lila back to her room. When they left, Gerald also exited the room. He locked the door behind him, and rushed to find Phoebe to tell her what happened.

* * *

Helga somehow made her way back to her room. She couldn't remember how she got there. She only knew that she needed to be away from the world, away from Arnold. Without thinking, Helga began to undress. She first removed her shoes and stockings, then began to unbutton her dress.

"Um, Helga?" Phoebe asked. Helga stopped at the sound of her maid's voice. She was completely oblivious that Phoebe was even in the room. Helga paused for only a moment before she resumed undressing.

"Helga, what happened?" Phoebe looked at her friend with great concern. "Please talk to me!" Helga didn't answer. She barely even looked at Phoebe. Her fingers continued to unbutton her dress until she couldn't reach them. Phoebe immediately went behind her employer and finished it for her. The dress, along with her petticoats, fell to the ground, followed quickly by her corset cover. Helga reached behind her to tug at the laces of her corset, but she couldn't reach. Phoebe immediately loosened them for her, leaving Helga in only her drawers and chemise. Soon, those were removed as well.

Helga went to her wardrobe and found her sleeveless nightgown. Slowly, she pulled it over her head. Her hands went up to her hair and pulled the pins from her hair. The blonde locks cascaded down her back as she placed the pins on her vanity. She glided to her bed as Phoebe watched on with worry and confusion. Helga pulled the covers up, then slid into them. With her hand on the corner, she pulled them over her head, wrapping herself in a cocoon to block all horrors away.

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered to herself. She walked over to the bed. "Helga-" Phoebe was interrupted by a knock on Helga's door. With a heavy sigh, she went to open the door. Relief came to her when she saw who it was. "Gerald," she whispered.

"Is Helga here?" he asked, keeping his voice down to match Phoebe's. "Why are we whispering?"

Phoebe took his hand and brought him inside the room. She closed the door and led him quietly through the parlor suite to her room. She didn't want to disturb the rest of the family, although the only one there was Miriam, and she was still unconscious from the copious amounts of alcohol that resided in her body. Bob was most likely in the smoking room while Olga was somewhere, still oblivious to the world around her.

"Do you know what happened?" Phoebe asked when they entered her room. "Helga came to her room, put on her nightgown, and went into bed. She didn't make a noise, let alone tell me why she was acting the way she was."

"It was Miss Sawyer," Gerald explained. "She came to Arnold's room, asking to talk to him alone. He agreed to it, telling me to come back in five minutes with an excuse to get him out of there. When the five minutes were up, I went in and saw her kissing him."

"What?" Phoebe asked in shock. "She kissed him? Oh dear. I'm assuming Helga found out about it and that's why she's upset?"

"Worse," Gerald replied, sitting on her bed. "She and Miss Lloyd walked in at that moment. Helga just stood there. You could see the hurt in her eyes. She left without saying a single word."

Phoebe sighed as she sat next to Gerald on the bed. It seemed too good to be true that they walked in just by mere coincidence. "Did it appear to be premeditated?" Phoebe asked.

"It's possible," Gerald said. "If it was, then it was only done by Miss Sawyer. I saw the way Miss Lloyd looked when she and Helga came in. She had no idea that Miss Sawyer was going to do that."

"Where's Arnold?" Phoebe asked. "I would figure he'd come and see her."

"He left after her. He went looking for her," he replied. "I'm actually surprised that he didn't think to come here first. Then again, he doesn't seem to do things in the conventional manner."

"What are we going to do about this?" Phoebe wondered.

"We need Helga to know the truth, whatever it is" Gerald told her. "I'm going to find Arnold and tell him she's here. Hopefully, she'll listen to him and will snap out of this."

"We can hope," Phoebe said as she kissed his cheek. "But right now, it's our only one."

* * *

Rhonda and Lila made their way to Lila's room, neither one speaking along the way. While Rhonda was trying to comprehend what she saw, Lila wore a smile so wide it reach across her face. It wasn't her typical innocent smile that graced her freckled face in public, but rather it was the type of smile that one would wear if a person wasn't… entirely there.

"Aren't you going to say anything about my brilliant move?" Lila finally asked when they were in her room. They had been there for a few minutes already, still not speaking. Rhonda looked over at Lila in shock. She planned it? The questions began to pour in Rhonda's mind, and she was having difficulty picking which one to choose first.

"You planned this? Why?" was all she could manage to say at the moment, and it was the main question she wanted answered. Why did Lila do this?

Lila chuckled. "After you told me your plan, I sat around thinking about it. It was brilliant, don't get me wrong, but I don't believe that thing would have been too upset seeing Arnold kiss a mere housekeeper. It needed to see someone she absolutely hates kissing Arnold. And who does she loathe more than me? Not to mention I now get to say I kissed Arnold first."

Rhonda sat down in the chair, trying to comprehend what was being told to her. She should have known better than to tell Lila what she was planning. Rhonda should have seen it coming. Lila may look like a simple farm girl, but there a darker side to her that was starting to come out as each day passed, and it frightened Rhonda.

"You were the one who wrote the note for Helga," Rhonda realized. "You made sure she would walk in and see you kiss him."

"That's correct," Lila said giddily. "Although I must say I was surprised to see you with it. Why did you come as well?"

"I was trying to gain her trust," Rhonda lied. "I wanted to be there when she was vulnerable after seeing Arnold's betrayal. I was hoping to get some information from her that could destroy her once and for all."

Lila looked over at Rhonda and studied her carefully. Rhonda managed to put on an evil smirk to convince Lila that she was with her on this. It worked.

"I must say, I'm in awe, Rhonda," Lila remarked. "Who knew you were ever so devious? Were you able to find any information?"

"Not at the moment," Rhonda replied. "She was hesitant with me for obvious reasons. I was trying to negotiate peace with her, but she was believing me. But because of this, I may now have a chance to be the one to lift her up from this dark place and comfort her. And maybe, just maybe, she will tell me everything."

"Then what are you still doing here?" Lila asked sweetly. "You should be with it right now. It can't possibly be more vulnerable than it is at this moment. Find out its secrets, and make sure to tell me everything you find out."

"As if I would want to hide anything," Rhonda chuckled. She internally sighed, relieved that she was almost out of there. Before she could go, she felt a nagging pain inside her. Something wasn't right in this whole situation, and it had to do with something Arnold said just before he left.

"Did I imagine this, or did Arnold say he forgave you?" she asked. Lila nodded. "What did he forgive you for exactly?"

"For not being honest with him about myself," Lila answered. "Granted of course, I didn't tell him the truth about my past. I just made up some sob story about how I was conceived out of wedlock and how the entire town knew about it. It's sort of pathetic at how gullible he is, but it made him weak enough that I was able to take advantage of the situation. And also for making up lies about that thing."

Rhonda's brows furrowed and she blinked her eyes several times. "So let me get this straight: you lied to him about your past. He forgave you for lying, but he still doesn't know that you are still lying about your past. And after he forgave you and gave you another chance, you threw it away by kissing him. Why would you risk having a second chance with him by doing that? You could have ended up being friends, and I'm sure he still would have forgiven you if you told him the actual truth about your background."

"His heart would have still belong to it," Lila spat. "No matter what, he would have still pined for that poor excuse for a woman. It doesn't deserve him, so it became more important to destroy her than to win his love. And I seriously hope you were joking about telling him I come from the dairy farm. We live in a society where status matters. You of all people should know that, or else you wouldn't have threatened me to keep your secret affair hidden. Unless you've had a change of heart?"

Lila got up and circled around Rhonda, like a vulture stalking its prey. "If that's the case, then I hope you're ready to spend the rest of your life working as a seamstress. All your precious belongings sold away at auction. Your name will be tarnished for all of eternity. Your reputation will be ruined. Then your place of employment will find out the truth about you and kick you to the streets. Then you will have to sell your body to make money. You should be able to do well with that, given that you've had practice in that field of expertise."

Rhonda remained silent. There was no point in arguing with Lila. She was stuck in what she was doing, there was no stopping her. Not by talking to her, that is. Her life may be ruined by Lila, but she could prevent any more lives from having the same fate.

"I'm going to go see Helga," Rhonda announced, heading towards the door. "I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"Good," Lila sneered. "Oh, and Rhonda?"

Rhonda spun back around and looked at her. "Yes?" she asked.

"I'm ever so glad you made the right decision. It would have been oh so sad to see your life end up in shambles because of someone who doesn't matter."

_It's too late for that,_ Rhonda thought as she left the room.

* * *

Arnold ran around the entire ship in search of Helga. His first instinct was to head to the Reading and Writing Room. Somehow, he always managed to find her there, writing away. What about, Arnold was still uncertain, but now wasn't the time to think of such trivial matters. When he got there, he was saddened to see the room void of any life. He went inside and sat down, thinking of the events that just occurred.

How could Lila have done that? He had just told her he would give her a second chance. Only seconds later, she kissed him. His fingers went over his tainted lips. There was no love behind that kiss. It felt empty. Arnold was certain that there would have been something behind it, seeing how much it appeared that Lila loved him. Or, so she said. If she loved him as she claimed, then why did he feel nothing from her?

Of course it had to be Helga who walked in. That look in her eyes was still fresh in his mind. Even Arnold could see the pain in them. He hated seeing her like that. He never wanted to be the one to hurt her, even if it wasn't on purpose. Then he started to wonder why exactly she had that look. He expected her to look angry or shocked, but never in pain about this. Why didn't she yell or told Lila off? Why didn't she make any remarks about how she didn't care about him? Why did she just run off? And were those tears that were about to escape from her eyes? Arnold never knew Helga to cry. He always figured she was incapable of producing tears. Thoughts such as that made Arnold feel even guiltier than before.

"There you are!" a voice panted from the entrance, disturbing Arnold's thoughts. Arnold looked over to see his valet rushing over to him. "I found Helga. She's in her room. I talked to Phoebe and she said Helga had gone straight to bed without a word. Her face was had no emotion behind it. It was as if she had departed from her body. We need you to come and talk to her. You can explain that it was all a misunderstanding."

"I can't face her," Arnold said somberly. "I made her this way. She will never forgive me for what I did. I can't even forgive myself for what I did."

"But you didn't do anything!" Gerald exclaimed, looking at his employer with surprise. "It was all Miss Sawyer. She was the one who kissed you."

"But I'm the one who let her in," Arnold retorted. "I allowed myself to be in a room with her alone. I should have listened to you, but once again, I allowed my good nature to get the best of me. I wanted to believe that there was some good in her, but now I can see there is none in her."

"That may be all true, but Miss Sawyer will be the one who succeeds if you don't try talk to Helga and try to make amends," Gerald pointed out. "Who knows how long Helga would be like this if something doesn't change. It could be permanent. Do you want that hanging over your head for the rest of your life?"

Arnold closed his eyes. He couldn't imagine if Helga were to remain as Gerald said she was forever. Helga was a fighter, and Arnold couldn't believe she would give in so easily because of something he took part in. He stood up from his chair and faced Gerald.

"I can never forgive myself for what I did, but it will be a fate worse than death if I didn't try to fix it. I need to see her."

The two men headed down to towards Helga's room. Arnold mentally kicked himself for not thinking of trying there first. He wasn't sure what he was going to say or even explain wy Lila was in his room in the first place. With any hope, she'll at least yell at him for being an idiot. As they headed down, they ran into Rhonda, who was so pale she could have easily gone unnoticed if it wasn't for her raven hair and outlandish outfit.

"What are you doing over here?" Arnold asked her.

"I need to tell Helga what happened," Rhonda explained. "It was all a setup. Lila planned for Helga to come to your room when she was there and for her to see you kiss her. I can tell Helga everything that happened and figure out what to do about this."

"I was going to talk to her about my side of what happened," Arnold said. "I'm hoping she will find some way to forgive me."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Rhonda said. They knocked on Helga's door, only to be opened by Phoebe. "How is she doing?" she asked.

"She's been the same ever since she got back," Phoebe said, tears falling down her cheeks. "She came in, out on her nightgown, and has been hiding under the covers. She won't speak. She won't eat. I'm concerned about her."

"Let us try to talk to her," Arnold begged. "We know the truth now and maybe that will help her. We have to try." Phoebe nodded and let them in.

"We'll give you some privacy," Phoebe told them. She grabbed Gerald's hand and they left the room. Arnold and Rhonda turned to Helga's bed. The only sign that indicated she was the lump that was beneath the blankets was a small lock of blonde hair sticking out and the blankets moved as she breathed.

"Helga?" Arnold called to her. No movement came from the covers. "It's Arnold and Rhonda. There's something we need to tell you."

"Lila set you up," Rhonda told the motionless blonde. "She planned for you to come in his room just as she was kissing Arnold. She went to him begging for forgiveness and made up some story about her past."

"Wait, what?" Arnold inquired, looking at Rhonda. "You mean to tell me that she wasn't conceived out of wedlock?"

"Not at all," Rhonda scoffed. "It's about time you knew the truth. Lila's father is a dairy farmer from Pennsylvania. His milk went to Milton Hershey for his chocolate. He invited her to join my family's harvest ball back in October. She caught me in a… compromising situation and has been blackmailing me ever since. But Lila is nothing but a farm girl with high ambitions for a life such as ours."

"I don't believe this," Arnold mumbled. "She could have just said the truth. There's nothing wrong with rising up in society."

"She felt like she would have never been accepted if she admitted the truth," Rhonda pointed out. "She felt that by hiding, she could have a better chance of getting what she wanted, which was you at first. But then she found herself a new target in Helga."

"But why?" Arnold asked. "Why is she treating Helga this way?"

Rhonda let out a small laugh. "If you can't figure it out by now, you're denser than people say. So that's the truth, Helga. Now, wake up from this little trance and do something." Helga remained motionless in her bed. Arnold and Rhonda sighed. Rhonda knelt beside the bed.

"I can't believe you," she said to the lump. "I used to be envious of you. It's true. You never allowed anything to get in your way before. And if you're going to allow some redheaded farm girl stop you from having happiness, then you're not the woman I thought you were." Rhonda rose and left the room, leaving Arnold behind. He took his place next to Helga's bed.

"Please wake up," he whispered. "I'm sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have allowed her inside my room. I shouldn't have talked to her alone. I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. I know saying I'm sorry isn't enough, but I'm willing to do what it takes to earn your trust again. Just don't let her take away the part of you that I have admired about you ever since we met."

There was still no response from Helga. Arnold hung his head down low as he rose from his spot and left Helga's room. Time passed and there was still no sign of life in that room. Soon enough, several fingers poked through the covers, grasping onto them. The fingers pulled on the covers, exposing blonde hair and a pair of sapphire blue eyes, filled with vengeance.


	16. Dinner Explosions

**A/N: So I saw for my work schedule that I'm off for three days for Easter, which means plenty of updates in the next few days! Which is great because boy, oh boy, do I have some juicy stuff in store for the next few chapters. I hope you're all as excited as I am for what's about to come.**

**I'm also surprised by the growth of this story. It's awesome to see so many people are enjoying it, and I'm happy you all continue to read it with each update.**

"What took you so long?" Gerald asked Phoebe as she sat down next to him. Phoebe had just gotten to the servants' dining room half an hour late than expected, and Gerald had gotten worried. "You haven't been late for dinner before. I was about to come and find you."

"I apologize for my tardiness," Phoebe replied. "I had to help Miss Pataki get dressed for dinner. It took longer than expected."

"So, she finally got up," Gerald concluded. Phoebe nodded in affirmation. "Well, that's good. She's doing better. She believed what Mr. Shortman and Miss Lloyd told her."

"Not exactly," Phoebe frowned. "When she got up, there was only fifteen minutes until dinner began. When I asked her what dress she wanted to wear, she didn't speak. She just pulled it out. But even her movements were odd. And her eyes had no emotion behind them. One would have thought she was a machine. Or a zombie."

"If she still isn't talking, then should she be going to dinner?" Gerald asked. "It sounds to me that she should have stayed in bed."

"Believe me, I asked her," Phoebe assured him. "I asked if she was certain that she wanted to go downstairs, and she nodded. So I finished dressing her and she went on her way without a single word."

Gerald watched Phoebe as she picked her food. He couldn't bear to see Phoebe so upset. His concern also spread to Helga. For as long as he'd known her, she has never been one to be silent on matters. In fact, Gerald believed she that she talked so much, she would continue to do so in her sleep. He placed his hand over Phoebe's. She looked at him with a tired, worried look in her eyes.

"I'm sure Mr. Shortman will help her get out of this trance," Gerald told her. "It may take some time, but I'm certain Miss Pataki will be back to normal before we know it. You just need to have some faith."

"Along with trust and pixie dust?" Phoebe joked, wearing a small smile on her face. Gerald laughed.

"Are you a fan of Mr. Barrie as well?" he asked her inquisitively.

"I am," Phoebe replied. "Miss Pataki gave me _Peter and Wendy_ as a present this past Christmas. I bring it with me everywhere. With the copious amount of times I read it, I'm surprised that it hasn't fallen apart yet."

"If you don't mind, I would love to read it," Gerald mentioned. "Mr. Shortman went to see the play a few years ago and he allowed me to accompany him as his guest. I've been meaning to buy the book, but I always seem to forget whenever I go into town."

"Of course you can," Phoebe said, smiling.

"You should keep that smile on always," he insisted. "It lights up the entire Atlantic Ocean."

"Good evening," Nadine said as she sat next to them. Gerald quickly removed his hand from Phoebe's and placed it in his lap. "Forgive me, Phoebe. I didn't mean to cut our time together so abruptly."

"It is quite all right," Phoebe said, remembering the way Nadine reacted to her questions while they were cleaning. "Were you able to finish up quickly?"

"Not as much as I would like to admit," Nadine admitted. "But Miss Lloyd was acting peculiar this afternoon as I was helping her dress for dinner. She seemed distracted by something. Do you think it could have been because of her meeting with Miss Pataki during teatime? And don't get me started on Miss Sawyer. When I came into Miss Lloyd's room, they were talking about something, but they stopped quickly. But Miss Sawyer had this large grin on her face. She looked like the Cheshire Cat."

Phoebe and Gerald looked at each other, wondering how Nadine doesn't know what happened only a few hours ago. They would have figured at least that Lila would be gloating about what she did.

"You have no idea what happened, do you?" Gerald asked, giving her a strange look.

"Did something happen?" Nadine wondered.

"Miss Sawyer kissed Mr. Shortman," Phoebe said. Nadine's eyes widened at this news. "She plotted it so that when she kissed him, Miss Pataki would enter and see them. When she did, she became catatonic. She hid in her room and hasn't spoken a word since coming back. She did get up and had me get her ready for dinner, though she didn't talk to me."

"My goodness," Nadine said, shaking her head. "I had no idea. That's horrible that someone could do something so cruel." But she did know. She knew all too well what Lila was capable of doing, but she wasn't ready to admit it.

"There's something else," Gerald began, then looked to Phoebe. "I meant to tell you this earlier, but you came late and I forgot when you finally came in. As I was preparing Mr. Shortman for dinner, he told me something about Miss Sawyer."

"What did he say?" Phoebe asked. Since Helga didn't speak to her all afternoon, Phoebe had no clue about the revelations made earlier that day. Gerald looked around to see if anyone was listening. He knew servants talked too much, and this information was too sensitive to be gossiped around the first and second classes.

"When he and Miss Lloyd were trying to talk to Miss Pataki, Miss Lloyd said that Miss Sawyer is not part of higher society," he whispered. "She's actually from a dairy farm in Pennsylvania. She was able to go to Miss Lloyd's Harvest Ball this past October. From what Mr. Shortman said, Miss Sawyer saw Miss Lloyd in a compromising situation and had been blackmailing her ever since. In return for keeping the secret, Miss Lloyd had to help her appear to be a member of society and try to win Arnold's heart."

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered, clutching her hand to her heart. She looked over to Nadine. "Did you know anything about this?"

Nadine looked at both of them. She wasn't sure what to do. If she told, they may chastise her for not wanting to be involved, like Curly did to her. It still ached her that in one moment, he was holding her close as they danced, and then the next he avoided her as if she was carrying smallpox or influenza. She couldn't bear the thought of being treated by an outcast like a leper from the other two people outside her employment. Being silent was the only way to protect herself from disaster.

"I had no idea," she replied. "They never talked much in front of me. I suppose they didn't trust me to keep their secrets. But that would explain Miss Sawyer's behavior. She never seemed to know all of the social etiquette this certain lifestyle entails, even the rules that the Pataki's know well enough to do."

"I can't believe Miss Pataki is being fooled by a milkmaid," Phoebe whispered. "I do hope she is okay at dinner."

* * *

Arnold's leg shook beneath the table. Dinner had just begun and Helga still hadn't come down to the dining hall. He looked over to the vacant seat on his right and sighed, longing to see her blue eyes to gaze upon him. He looked up to the seat directly in front of him to see his newest raven-haired ally. Rhonda looked back at him, mouthing at him to tell him to calm down. It wasn't easy for him. He was worried that Helga wasn't going to show up and he wouldn't have the chance to explain what happened. He was afraid that Helga was going to let Lila control what she does. And he wasn't the only one who feared she won't show up.

"Where is it?" Lila hissed at Rhonda. "You said that it was going to be here. You said that it would cause a scene. If it is stuck being in solitary, it won't be embarrassed and end up being the laughingstock of the Titanic."

"She may just be taking her time," Rhonda whispered while poking at her salad. "It did come as a surprise to see you kissing him. As I mentioned to you earlier, she wasn't speaking to anyone, not even Arnold. She just hid underneath her blankets. I would consider taming the wild beast a miraculous feat, and for some reason, that is not enough for you."

It sickened Rhonda to speak of Helga in such a way, but she had to keep appearances that she despised her. She couldn't allow Lila to believe that anything has changed. Luckily, Lila was oblivious to what was going on around her.

"I want to make sure no one wants to talk to it ever again," Lila told her. "It isn't enough for it to end up as a recluse. I want, no, crave for it to be alone for the rest of its cold, miserable life, never knowing how it feels to be loved."

"Where the hell have you been, girl?" Bob roared. The three young adults looked to see the person whom they were discussing approached the table. Arnold immediately stood up, as did all the other men at the table. She looked stunning in her purple, sleeveless gown, but her eyes appeared glossed over. Arnold could tell she wasn't completely over what happened. Immediately, he grabbed her chair and pulled it out for her. She went in front of the chair, avoiding eye contact with Arnold.

"Forgive me for being late," she spoke softly for the first time since seeing Lila kiss Arnold as she took her seat, as did the men. "I was preoccupied with other matters that required my immediate attention."

"Oh, that's quite all right, Sugar," Maggie said as the next course was being served. "You didn't miss much." She then lowered her voice. "Somebody has been very anxious for you to arrive. He wouldn't stop fidgeting."

Helga didn't reply. At that point, she didn't even want to hear Arnold's name. The name now disgusted her, and she felt uncomfortable having to sit next to him at the table. Despite what she and Arnold told her, the fact was that his lips were against Lila's, and she saw it as a betrayal. He should have known better than to trust her. And Helga should have known better than to trust Rhonda. Rhonda made Helga believe that she was there to help her, but only aided in blindsiding Helga from seeing what happened. As for Rhonda's "confession" about Lila came too late. There was no way that Helga could believe anything that Rhonda said anymore. She wouldn't be surprised if Rhonda was the one behind treating her this way and that Lila was merely a pawn in the whole scheme.

The course ended, which meant that Arnold finally had his chance to talk to Helga. Once the plates were served, he looked over to the troubled blonde.

"I'm glad to see you up, Helga," he said. Helga didn't bother looking at him, but kept her head to her plate. Perhaps she still wasn't feeling well. "Are you feeling well?"

Again, she offered no answer. Arnold frowned at her avoidance of him. He placed her hand on her shoulder, which she immediately shrugged off.

"Helga, please talk to me," he begged, then lowered his voice. "Didn't you hear what Rhonda and I said this afternoon? We were set up by Lila. She came with this confession and begged for forgiveness. She knew that I would, being a gentleman and all. Then she kissed me. She was the one who sent you the note to come to my room while she was kissing me. She wanted to mess with your emotions, Helga. You have to believe me."

Helga was starting to lose patience with him. He couldn't see that she wanted to be left alone. Her knuckles whitened from gripping her silverware too hard. And yet, Arnold had to try one more time to get her to talk to him.

"Please, Helga, see what's she doing," he whispered. "She's trying to stop us from being friends. She wants to ruin your life. Lila can't stand not having me love her, so you're the next best target. Don't let her win, Helga."

Helga slowly turned and faced Arnold. "It's too late," she hissed. "She already did." She turned back to her plate.

Arnold looked at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious," he said. "Helga, this isn't like you. The Helga I know would fight back."

"Well, maybe I'm tired of fighting back," she remarked, looking back at him. "And why do you care if I fight or not?"

"I-I-I only want what's best for you," he stammered, surprised that she was reacting this way. "I care about you, Helga."

Helga laughed. "That's your problem, Football Head. You care way too much what other people think. You had to be the fool and believe that everyone has a good heart. What you don't realize is that not everyone does. Do you really expect me to forgive you after I've told you countless times that she's not to be trusted?"

Arnold looked at Helga with sorrowful eyes. "I know you've told me, and I should have listened to you. I should have never trusted her. I should have never allowed her to come into my room alone. I know I made a mistake, and I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust again."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Helga asked him. Arnold shook his head.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"I think you wanted to be in your room alone with her," she said. "I think you wanted to kiss her."

"Are you kidding me?" Arnold scoffed. "I didn't want her in my room. I didn't want her anywhere near me, but she set me up. I'm innocent!"

"Bullshit!" Helga yelled, slamming her fist on the table, causing the plates and silverware to clatter. Everyone at the table stopped their conversations and stared at them, along with passengers at other tables. "You are not innocent by any means of the word! You want everyone to believe that you are such a gentleman."

"You know I am," Arnold said sternly._ Why was she acting this way?_

"Like hell you are!" she scoffed. "A gentleman wouldn't have talked to a woman the way you did last night after dinner, even if she is the spawn of Satan. A gentleman wouldn't have done what you did this afternoon. You want everyone to think you are some sort of saint, but I've seen the truth! You are nothing but a poor excuse for a man, and I'm sorry that I ever met you!"

Helga rose from her chair and stormed out of the dining hall, leaving everyone sitting there in shock. The men managed to stand up halfway out of their chairs out of respect, but they were too stiff to move all the way up. Arnold couldn't move at all. He just sat there, his face so red that it matched Lila's hair. Rhonda was also in disbelief in what she saw. She knew Helga to be vocal, but she didn't realize that she would use such colorful language. She suspected no one would have thought to hear those vulgar words come from any woman for that matter.

Next to her, Lila also sat there in shock, but not for the reason that everyone around her was. She was shocked that the plan actually worked. Helga fell right into her trap. After that display, it was only a matter of time before she became the social pariah of the ship. Soon enough, the passengers began whispering among one another about the recent outburst by the young blonde.

"It worked!" Lila exclaimed in a hushed tone to Rhonda. "This is brilliant. There is no way she could escape this! And there's no way that Arnold would forgive her for what she said about him."

Rhonda looked over at Arnold who was too upset to move from his chair. His eyes were filled with pain, and with good reason. He could hear the whispers around him, talking about Helga's behavior and Arnold's actions the past several days. What Helga said was emasculating. Not only did she embarrass herself, she also embarrassed Arnold. He somehow managed to rise from his seat and walk out of the dining saloon.

"Excuse me, Lila," Rhonda said, not keeping her eyes off Arnold. "I'm going to see if Arnold is all right. I may not care for Helga, but Arnold didn't deserve that." She left before Lila could rebut her reasoning. Everyone else was too engrossed in the latest gossip to notice her absence. As quick as she could, she followed Arnold up the staircase.

"Arnold, wait!" she cried out. He stopped in his tracks and allowed for Rhonda to catch up. "Are you okay?" she panted.

"What do you think?" he asked curtly. "I was only embarrassed by someone that means so much to me in front of the entire dining room. But other than that, I'm doing just swell." He continued walking up the stairs, followed closely by Rhonda.

"I never imagined her to behave like this," Rhonda replied. "I thought she would get mad and yell a bit, but the way she talked was deplorable. In a way, it wasn't like her. None of her actions since the incident have been like her. Has she gone mad?"

"I have no idea," Arnold admitted. "But I need to find out why she felt the need to speak to me that way. I know I can be gullible at times, but I thought she would have been smarter to know it was all a trick. Now I really feel like the fool."

"It doesn't make sense, though," Rhonda said as they continued up the staircase. "I know Helga cares for you as well. She wouldn't have said those things without a reason behind it."

"It's another reason we need to talk to her," Arnold said, not fully comprehending what Rhonda just told him. "I have to know why."

They soon made it to B deck and walked down to Helga's room. Before they arrived to their destination, Rhonda recognized a familiar face.

"Curly!" she cried, rushing to him. "Have you seen Helga Pataki? It's urgent that we find her."

"I saw her go into her stateroom not long ago," Curly answered.

"Can you tell us how she appeared?" Arnold asked. "Was she angry? Sad? Did she look like she was about to strangle someone?"

"Not quite," Curly replied. "She appeared to be happy. She had a big smile on her face. I even believe she was humming to herself."

Rhonda and Arnold looked at each other. How could someone go from rage to bliss in minutes? Rhonda thanked Curly for his information and she and Arnold continued their trip to Helga's room. Arnold banged on the door, which was soon opened by a smirking Helga.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," she said. Arnold and Rhonda looked at her in confusion.

"Do you mind explaining what that was down there?" Arnold asked sternly. Helga moved to the side and allowed Arnold and Rhonda to enter.

"Did she believe it?" Helga answered him with another question as she closed the door.

"Did who believe what?" Rhonda asked this time, not sure what was going on.

"Does Lila think I hate you?" she clarified while looking to Arnold.

"I believe the entire dining room thinks you hate me," Arnold said. "Myself included."

Helga laughed, causing Arnold and Rhonda to gaze at her with even more confusion. "What's so funny?" Rhonda asked.

"Well, Princess," Helga began, "it looks like your little plan actually worked." Rhonda's face lightened at the realization of what Helga was talking about.

"My, my," Rhonda said. "You are one brilliant actress, Helga. Did you plan the entire thing?"

"As soon as I saw the kiss." She turned to Arnold. "I apologize for what I said. I didn't mean any of it, although you are an idiot for allowing her to enter your room in the first place."

Arnold looked at her in disbelief. "This was all staged? Why didn't you warn us?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "To make it look more convincing," Helga explained. "I wasn't sure how good you were at acting, so I had to make sure you weren't. Now she believes I hate you when in fact I don't. She believes she has won, when in fact she set me free. After this, I now know I won't have to see her again at dinner."

The trio soon heard a door slam. "Olga!" they heard Bob yell. "Get your ass out here now!"

"Why is your father mad at your sister?" Rhonda asked.

"He isn't," Helga replied. "He's talking to me. You two better leave. It won't be pretty what he's going to say."

* * *

Arnold lied in his bed after talking with Helga. He was still hurt that Helga spoke in that way, but he was relieved to know she didn't mean a word of it. She didn't hate him and if he heard Rhonda correctly, she cared about him. How does Rhonda know for certain? Could it be that Helga felt the same way as he did about her?

His thoughts were disturbed by a sudden knock. Arnold got up and walked to the door, putting on his robe with each step. He opened the door to see Helga on the other side, also wearing her robe. Beside her was a trunk.

"Helga?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

She sighed. "I'm sure you're not exactly happy to see me right now and I completely understand if you say no, but my father kicked me out of the stateroom for my behavior. I was wondering if it would be possible if I could spend the night here. I have nowhere else to go. My father won't pay for me to have my own room. I can't go to Rhonda because of Lila and anyone else would turn me away for what I did. Please Arnold."

Arnold looked at her. He was still unhappy by what she said, but he knew it was for a good reason. And he couldn't bear to see a damsel in distress, especially when that damsel was Helga. He grabbed her trunk from her and allowed her inside.


	17. Pillow Talk

"Please tell me he's miserable," Lila begged her so-called friend as Rhonda walked inside Lila's stateroom. After learning that Helga continued on with their plan, she headed back to her room to change for the night. As she headed to her room, she could hear the whispers of that unforgettable dinner fill the corridors. Rhonda frowned, for it appeared that Lila was successful in making Helga even more of an outcast than she was before. She wanted to stop the gossip and tell everyone that it was planned out, but she didn't have an explanation as to why Helga would have acted that way. She couldn't tell the truth because then her reputation would have been soiled, which was the basis of the ruse in the first place.

"I'm telling you, that little redhead is up to no good," Rhonda heard someone say. The voice came from the adjacent corridor. It was a loud female's voice, and Rhonda knew it could only belong to one person. Rhonda stood by the edge of the intersecting hallways to listen better.

"Are you certain, Maggie?" another voice asked. "What makes you believe that Lila had anything to do with Helga's behavior at dinner?"

"I saw the look on that girl's face after Helga stormed off," Maggie informed the other woman. "She had the widest grin I have ever seen on someone's face. And I know Helga. She is not one to cause such a scene, especially in front of a lot of people."

"That doesn't necessarily mean that Lila had a part in it," the other woman retorted. "She could just be happy that Arnold was embarrassed the way she was last night when he told he that he didn't love her."

"That's one theory, Lucy," Maggie said. "And I would have thought that if she looked at Arnold after Helga left. However, she didn't. Not one time. Her eyes even followed Helga after she was no longer in sight."

"Then perhaps she was just happy that Helga yelled at Arnold that way," Lucy replied. "Although it was a bit odd to see her ridicule him in front of everyone. I was certain that those two were head over heels in love with each other."

"And they are, even though they are oblivious to the entire thing. There's no way Helga could have changed her mind about Arnold overnight. She's loved that boy for years, or so Madeline Astor has told me. She noticed it two years ago at one of the Lloyd's soirées. They were in a battle of wits and afterwards he only danced with her for the rest of the night."

Rhonda chuckled. She knew exactly which party to which Margie was referring. Back then, Rhonda thought it was horrifying that someone like Arnold would ever be seen with someone like Helga. Now she thought it adorable and was happy to be a witness to the beginning of their love.

"You do have a point," Lucy said to Maggie, bringing Rhonda back to the present. "Besides, I have never known Helga to insult Arnold unless it was in a joking manner. She would never say something like that unless there was a hidden reason behind it. Not to mention, I've thought Lila to be peculiar. She seems too sweet. Every time she talks it gives me a toothache. I'll have to talk to Cosmo about this."

"And I'll talk to Helga tomorrow and let her know we are on her side with this battle against Lila," Maggie concluded.

Rhonda smiled. She was grateful for Maggie and her perceptiveness. By tomorrow morning, the entire first class will know the truth. Her smile suddenly turned into a frown at the thought of Lila finding out. She doesn't have many people she is close to on the ship, and the only other person she talks to was Helga's sister. Though they may not get along, Rhonda knew Olga would never talk badly about her "baby sister." Still, she had to make sure that Lila never knew the truth.

"He's absolutely distraught," Rhonda told Lila, lying through her teeth. "He actually tried to go to her room and talk to her. She continued to berate him and slammed the door in his face. It was horrifying to watch, but I don't think Helga will be able to forgive him."

"Excellent," Lila giggled as she lied on her bed. "And that thing will be too embarrassed to ever show its face in public again. We'll now have to find someone to take its place at the dinner table."

Rhonda's mind began reeling from what Lila just said. There really was no way that Helga could sit with them at the dinner table with them again, especially to make sure Lila would never know the truth. And Rhonda doubted Arnold would join them after being embarrassed in front of the entire dining room. Maybe, just maybe, this was what Arnold and Helga needed for some time alone together.

* * *

The three newly reunited friends spent their entire afternoon searching for Eugene, but he was nowhere to be found. They each separated and explored the various locations of the third class section of the ship anything that might help them figure out exactly who Eugene is. Later that night, they met up in the dining hall to discuss their findings.

"I searched his luggage back in the cabin," Sid told them. "There wasn't much, but what was weird was that I couldn't find the money we earned the past two days. He said he would hold onto it, but I figured he meant that it would be in his suitcase."

"He may have it on his person for safekeeping," Stinky mentioned. "With all that money, I wouldn't want to keep it lying around anywhere where anyone could grab it."

"That is a good point," Sid decided. "Did you find anything Stinky?"

"I searched the common rooms," Stinky told them. "I thought I saw his red hair several times, but it was always gone when I got closer. I reckon he would move whenever I did. Either that or I was dreaming because I remember waking up in the smoking room and wanting lemon pudding."

"So nothing," Sid concluded, then turned to his reunited friend. "Harold, please tell me you found something. Wait, why is your shirt so stretched out? I can see your stomach between each button."

Harold chuckled uncomfortably. "I was going to check around the promenade after we left the cabin, but then I got hungry. I came here to eat and they had boiled potatoes. I had about ten on my plate when a man came by and bet that I couldn't eat thirty of them. Of course I took the bet and I won four dollars."

Sid sighed. "At least you were somewhat productive. But in all seriousness gentlemen, we need to find out exactly who Eugene is. And in all honesty, I don't feel comfortable with him holding onto our money now. At least, not until we know more about him."

"Look whose back together," a new voice said. The three companions turned to see Patty standing at the edge of their table. "You gentlemen sure look melancholy for making up. I thought you would be happy about that."

"It's not that," Harold said glumly. "It's our roommate, Eugene. We discovered that he was the reason we were fighting in the first place. He confused me into thinking that Sid and Stinky were jealous of how I got more laughs than they did for the show Wednesday night."

"Although with Harold, he is easily confused," Sid muttered to Patty.

"I heard that!" Harold exclaimed, tossing his biscuit towards Sid, who ended up getting hit on the cheek. The three men laughed it off.

"Do you know where he might be?" Patty asked, trying to get the men back on track.

"We searched the entire third class area, but we couldn't find him," Stinky replied. "But I have to admit I must have taken a nap instead of searching."

"Well, if you need any help, I can see what I can do," Patty offered. The last time she intervened, she was able to get the three of them back on speaking terms, so she figured she could find out what exactly Eugene was planning.

"That would be great, Patty," Harold said. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," she replied. "Anything to help my favorite passenger. Just one question: what are you going to do about your skit? Are you still planning on performing tonight? If I were you, I wouldn't. I wouldn't even tell him that you three are talking again."

The three friends looked at one another. What _were _they going to do? They spent almost their entire day looking for Eugene that they didn't even bother to try and create a skit for the night. None of them even felt comfortable performing until they knew for certain with whom they were dealing.

"If it's alright with you two, I rather not perform," Harold suggested. "And I think we should go with Patty's suggestion. We shouldn't tell him we made up or else he might pull away even more."

"That is a good point," Sid said. "We want him to trust one of us, and the best way to do that is to make him believe that we are still mad at you, Harold. If we see him, we'll tell him that we canceled the skit until we can sort something out between us. And I'll try to get the money back somehow."

"So does that mean Harold has to leave us now?" Stinky asked. "If Eugene comes in, he might find it suspicious that we are all together."

"Wow, Stinky, you actually thought of something reasonable," Sid joked. "But it does look like that Harold needs to be by himself. At least for now. We'll make sure to meet up at some points to talk."

"I can find somewhere for you to meet in private," Patty offered. "That way you don't have to worry about him finding out."

"Thank you, Patty," Harold said as he stood up. "You have been too kind. As for you two, I guess I'll see you in the cabin." The three bid each other farewell as Harold left the dining saloon, accompanied by Patty.

* * *

Helga sat patiently in one of Arnold's chairs in his stateroom. This was the first time Helga was actually invited inside his stateroom. It was a charming little room, only slightly bigger than hers in the parlor suite. She gazed over to his bed and wondered if his sheets smelled like him.

"Well, it looks like Gerald is out cold," Arnold said as he entered back into his room. "And I didn't notice this before, but he takes up the entire bed and is incredibly difficult to move, so me sleeping with him isn't going to work out."

Helga chuckled and stood up, rolling her sleeves up. "Give me a minute. I'll make some space."

"Whoa, hold on there," Arnold said, placing his hands on Helga's shoulders. "I'm sure that won't be necessary. We can figure out some sort of sleeping arrangements."

"And how exactly do you suggest we do that, Football Head?" Helga scoffed as she removed his hands from her, leaving her fingers lingering a little too long. "I know you wouldn't suggest that we share the bed. You're too much of a gentleman to do that."

"Well, according to you, I'm not the gentleman everyone believes that I am," Arnold retorted in a condescending tone.

Helga sighed. "How many times do I have to say that I didn't mean it? I already told you I said it so Lila would think I'm mad at you for kissing her."

"I didn't kiss her!" Arnold exclaimed, waving his arms around, then running them through his hair.

"I'm well aware of that, Football Head," Helga scoffed as she sat on his bed. "But she doesn't know that. For all she knows, I made a scene in front of the entire dining saloon."

"And that's another thing," Arnold continued, "did you have to do that in front of everyone? Do you realize how embarrassing that was for me? You told everyone that I'm basically a horrible person. I can never show my face in that dining saloon again!"

Helga sat there guiltily. She didn't realize just how upset she made him. "I didn't mean any of it," she said softly with her head hanging low. "I just wanted it to be believable and not have Lila win. Looking back, I should have told you what I was doing. But in all honesty, if anyone truly believes that you're not a gentleman, then they're an idiot. And they would be an idiot to believe anything I said in that room. If it makes you feel any better, I can't show my face in the dining room again either. My father has banned me from the table, though to be truthful, I'm relieved I don't have to see Lila's face at dinner again. Anyways, I apologize again for what I said and for embarrassing you. That was not my intent."

Arnold sighed and sat next to her. "I know it wasn't, Helga," Arnold replied. "I just wished you could have given me a little warning so I wasn't completely off guard."

"I promise the next time I'm about to go into hysterics in front of a crowd of people, I'll make sure to let you know first," Helga joked.

Arnold chuckled and patted her hand. "Why don't you take the bed? I can sleep on the floor. I'm sure it will be comfortable."

Arnold was standing up when Helga gripped her hand around his. He turned to face her. "I don't want you to sleep on the ground like a homeless person. There's plenty of room on the bed where we can share."

"And how am I supposed to keep my gentleman reputation by sharing a bed with a woman to whom I am not wed?" Arnold smirked.

Helga rolled her eyes. She should have known he was going to hold that comment over her for life. "You keep it by making sure there is a blanket between us. That way, there is no funny business, Football Head."

Arnold shrugged, not planning on arguing with her logic. Honestly, he was hoping to share the bed with her. He just didn't want to appear to be a pervert. "If that is what you wish, milady," he said with a bow.

"My wish is for me to be in my own room," she replied. "However, seeing as that is not possible at the moment, this is the best alternative. Besides, it is a start for me to make it up to you for humiliating you in front of everyone."

"Well then, if it will help ease your guilt conscience," Arnold said sarcastically. "Then I guess I can share my bed with you. And to make it easier on you, I shall stay as far away as I can so you shan't worry about anything happening."

"Good," Helga replied. "Now close your eyes so I can take my robe off. It would be inappropriate for you to see me in my nightgown."

Arnold obliged, moving back and closing his eyes. However, he didn't shut them completely. He watched through the slits as Helga let her robe slide down her body, revealing her soft pink, lace, sleeveless nightgown. She then moved her fingers through her hair and removed the pins, allowing her yellow hair to cascade down her backed. This was the first time Arnold has ever seen Helga with her hair down, and he never realized how long it was, reaching to the middle of her back. She opened the sheets and buried herself beneath all the covers.

"You can open them now," she told him. He opened them the rest of the way and disrobed himself, revealing blue pajamas beneath it. He went to the covers and crept underneath the covers, lying on top of the bottom layer.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked her.

"Very," she yawned as she leaned on her side. She took a deep breath, finding out that the pillow does indeed smell like Arnold. "It's far more comfortable than my bed. Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"What did I say?" Arnold asked, confused to what she was talking about.

"In my room before dinner," Helga said softly as her eyes closed. "You said you cared about me. Did you mean that?"

"Of course I did," Arnold said. "I care about you so much Helga. More than I have ever been willing to admit. And now I think this is the best time for me to tell you just how much. Helga Pataki, I-"

Arnold looked over to see Helga soundly asleep, nestled underneath the blankets. He sighed softly. He couldn't stay mad at her, though. She looked so beautiful asleep, so peaceful. He leaned over her and kissed her softly on her cheek.

"I want to tell you how I feel about you," he whispered to her. "But I want you to actually hear it when I say it. So I will wait when you are awake so I can tell you what I've been wanting to say for so long. Goodnight, Helga."

* * *

When it was quiet for several minutes, Gerald opened his eyes and peered into Arnold's room. He could barely see the two blondes in bed together. With a smile, he softly closed the door that joined the rooms together. He then left his room and headed down the corridors and knocked on a particular door.

"How did it go?" Phoebe asked quietly when she opened the door to see Gerald on the other side. She opened the door wider to allow Gerald in. He obliged and sat on her bed.

"It was a little rocky at first," Gerald admitted. "There was some arguing going on, but they're now soundly asleep in the same bed, but with a blanket between them. It turns out that Helga planned the entire fiasco at dinner, going along with the plan they made before the kiss. They still didn't confess their love to one another, but I get the feeling they are getting closer to actually doing it. But overall, it appears your genius little plan worked."

Phoebe giggled. "I must say, it was most convenient to overhear the conversation between Helga and Mr. Pataki and to hear him kicking her out of the parlor suite and refusing to pay for an additional room."

"Like it was convenient for you to remind her that she humiliated herself in front of the entire first class, and there was only one person who will gladly take her in without fearing Lila would walk in at any moment?" Gerald asked with a smirk. Phoebe giggled as she sat next to him, holding something in her hands.

"I like to think of it as fate providing us with the opportunity to intervene," Phoebe clarified. "They need some time together, and perhaps this will quicken things so they will find tell each other how they feel."

"Do you think anyone else knows about them?" Gerald asked.

"Only every first class passenger and crew aboard this ship," Phoebe laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised if some third class passengers are fully aware of their love. Oh, and you forgot this before heading back to your room. It was, after all, the reason you came by in the first place." She placed a copy of _Peter and Wendy _into his hands.

Gerald smiled. "That was clever of you to suggest I take up the whole bed so they would stay in the same room. However I must say I was nervous when Helga said she would try to wake me. Why don't you read a bit of this to me? You have the perfect voice to tell stories," he said as he handed the book back to her.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Look who thinks he's so suave, trying to sweep me off my feet," she giggled.

"Look who's been hanging around Helga a little too much," he retorted jokingly.

"And don't you forget it!" Phoebe said in her best Helga imitation. The two servants laughed while Phoebe took the book back. "But in all seriousness, just one chapter and then you best go back to your room. Just because they're sharing a bed together doesn't mean they won't get mad if we do."

Gerald nodded as Phoebe opened the book and began reciting its contents. Gerald listened to Phoebe's soft, calming voice fill the room with the wondrous tale of the Darling family. He had lied down for comfort. The last thing Gerald could hear was Wendy talking about the phenomenon that is Peter Pan before his eyes drooped down and he fell into a restful slumber.

**A/N: Finally the end of day three. Approximately forty-eight hours until striking the iceberg. I can't believe how close we're getting. If I had to guess, it will be around twelve more chapters until it happens, and we still have so much more to happen before then, so stay tuned! And I should have another chapter up sometime tomorrow and we get to find out what happens in the morning when our favorite couples wake up.**


	18. Sneaking Peeks

**A/N: Here we go with another day. I was asked about Bob's punishment for Helga and my choice of having him kick her out of the parlor suite instead of locking her in. When I think of Big Bob, I believe him to be impulsive and not fully aware of society customs in such situations. I thought of him getting so angry that he doesn't think of what he was doing by kicking her out. As far as Helga spending the night in Arnold's room, yes it would be scandalous if they were caught. That is,**_** if**_** they get caught. Will they? You have to read to find out.**

Saturday April 13, 1912, North Atlantic Ocean

A distant yet familiar smell tickled Helga's nostrils. She couldn't pinpoint where she had smelled it before, but it was the most potent it had ever been before. Her nose started following its trail until the tip ended somewhere soft. She moaned softly with each inhale. Finally, she couldn't take it. She had to know what exactly that scent was. She opened her eyes slowly to see a mixture of blue and peach. As her eyes focused, Helga could differentiate between the blue cloth and the peach skin.

Helga tried to move, but was stopped by a weight on her waist. She looked down to see an arm wrapped around her. Her eyes focused upwards to see a mess of blonde hair covering a face. Then she realized from where she recognized the scent. It was Arnold. Events from the night before came back to her. The explosion at dinner, the fight with Big Bob, his irrational decision to kick her out of the parlor suite, and then her ending up in Arnold's bed with him.

She lied on her side, staring at him. She couldn't believe that she was in the same bed as the man she has loved for several years. His arm was around her! It was the closest they had ever been. Helga never wanted it to end. She hoped to stay there for the rest of the voyage, but she knew that she had to get up and face the rest of the passengers. Then it suddenly dawned on her.

_Criminy! I'm in Arnold's bed with Arnold and in my nightgown! How am I supposed to get out of here without anyone noticing? Not only will I be shunned from every function, but so will Arnold. And this time, there won't be any way out of this. Oh I'm such a basket case!_

She quickly patted Arnold. "Football Head, wake up!" she hissed.

"Mm, what?" he grumbled, his eyes still closed. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is that you have a woman you are not married to in your bed and with no explanation of why she's in there in the first place that wouldn't cause social suicide," Helga replied and then noticed some discomfort. "And there's something poking my thigh."

Arnold's eyes widened when he realized he was the one doing the poking. He immediately shot up and grabbed his robe, making sure that his back was kept turned towards Helga to hide both his blushing face and bulging manhood.

"That is a problem," Arnold agreed, flustered by the compromising position he was found in. "I didn't even think of what could happen in the morning when I let you in. I just felt bad that Bob kicked you out and-"

"You care about me," Helga finished for him. He spun around and looked at her surprised. "Yes, I did hear you say that you care about me last night. It was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep. Did I miss anything else?"

"No," Arnold lied quickly. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but this was not the time to do this. Not when they could be the center of even more gossip that would destroy them. And he certainly didn't want to do it with all the blood rushing to his other head. "Now, why don't I try to figure out what we can do. Do you want some tea?" Helga nodded and Arnold started preparing some for them. While he was busy, Helga snuck out of the bed and slipped on her robe. She went to her trunk and searched for some clothes to wear. She managed to find a dress, but she needed help getting it on.

"I can't get this on without Phoebe," Helga said aloud, then looked to Arnold. "Do you think Gerald can go out and fetch her?"

"Certainly," he replied. "Just give me a moment to finish this tea and then I'll ask him. It's odd. He's usually up by now." When the tea finished steaming, he poured two cups for each of them. Helga joined him at the table and poured some milk in. He took a sip and went to Gerald's room to wake him up. Helga swirled her tea and milk wild Arnold was away. When he came back, he appeared startled.

"What's going on?" Helga asked, concerned.

"Gerald isn't in his room," Arnold said, slowly sitting in his chair. "I searched all over and he wasn't in there. I felt his bed and it felt cold, so he's been gone for quite some time now. Maybe even all night. His sheets were unmade, which is unlike him, too. He always makes his bed as soon as he wakes up in the morning."

Helga groaned. "Do you have any idea where he could have gone? Maybe he went to the dining room early for breakfast."

"It's a possibility, but he would have made sure I was dressed and off to breakfast first," Arnold explained.

"Do you think he saw us sleeping together?" Helga suggested. "He might have seen us and decided to leave us alone. And the meantime, he could have went to get breakfast."

"I'll go check the dining room," Arnold told her. "If you don't mind, I'll have to ask you to step into Gerald's room while I change. I'll let you know when I'm about to leave."

Helga got up and went to Gerald's room, pulling the door behind her. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to leave the door slightly ajar. Peering through the crack, she watched in awe as Arnold removed his pajamas top. He had broad shoulders and moderately sculpted arms. Arnold turned towards the door and Helga could see his chiseled abdomen. Helga's jaw dropped at the sight. She had never seen a man's chest before, but she was certain that his was the most beautiful one she would ever see.

He grabbed onto the top of his pants and pulled them down, wearing nothing but his underwear. Helga's eyes widened as one hand clasped her mouth and the other held onto the door handle. As Arnold slid his underwear off, Helga also slid down the door to the ground, blushing once she caught a glance at his manhood.

"Be still, my gentle heart," Helga whispered. She turned back to see Arnold now changing. Quickly, she got up and sat at the table. She didn't want to get caught spying on him, and she was going to need time before she would be able to look him in the eyes again. Soon, he came into the room, completely dressed.

"I'm going out to find him," he said. "If I find Phoebe first, I'll send her here. Just stay in these two rooms until I get back, okay?"

"Well I'm certainly not going out like this," she snarked, avoiding his eyes. "That would defeat the entire purpose of me hiding."

Arnold chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I promise to be back soon." He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly, then left the room. Helga just sat there, staring at the hand that was graced with the touch of Arnold's lips, and swooned.

* * *

Gerald had awoken early that morning. He was used to waking up at that time that it became natural. Even on his days off he would wake up at that time. He sat up and stretched, realizing that he was still in his uniform. He looked around and saw that he wasn't in his room, but in Phoebe's once he saw her sleeping next to him. Carefully, he got up and headed over to Arnold's room. He cracked the door carefully and noticed the two blondes cuddling in his bed.

_Mmm, mmm, mmm,_ he thought. _Those two better say how they feel soon. _Quietly, he went into his room and changed into a new uniform. He contemplated waking the two employers, but decided against it. Gerald figured they could spend some more time together and they wouldn't miss him. He snuck back out of the room and went back to Phoebe.

When he entered the room, he saw that she had woken up. "I was wondering if you were going to come back," she said, smiling. Like Gerald, she had changed into a new uniform. She must have gotten up as soon as he left.

"I wanted to check on the love birds and see how they were doing," Gerald said, giving her a soft kiss on her lips.

"And how are they?" Phoebe inquired.

"Still asleep," Gerald answered. "But they did get close to one another at some point during the night. I went in and they were facing each other. Arnold's arm was wrapped around her. They looked so adorable that I couldn't bear the thought of waking them up. I figured we could leave them be for a while and go get them later."

"Sounds perfect," Phoebe smiled and wrapped around Gerald. He held her tightly and kissed her slowly. She squealed softly as he picked her up.

BANG! BANG! BANG! "Maid! Are you up already?"

The two servants knew that voice anywhere. It was Big Bob. Gerald placed Phoebe down and scrambled to try and find somewhere to hide. Phoebe motioned under the bed and Gerald rolled under without a second thought. Phoebe straightened her dress and opened the door to a frightening Big Bob Pataki.

"Y-yes, sir?" Phoebe stuttered. Even though she lives in the same house as this man, it didn't make him any less intimidating to Phoebe.

"Where the hell is the?" Bob snarled. "I went to her room earlier and she wasn't there, and all her clothes were gone."

"Do you mean Helga?" Phoebe asked meekly. She knew that Olga would never leave her parents, even if they set fire to an orphanage.

"Yeah, Olga," he grumbled. "Where did she go and why did she take her shit with her?"

Phoebe wasn't fazed by Big Bob's cursing. At home he would say far worse things, along with some racial slurs. It frightened Phoebe when she first joined the household, but she stayed because she felt a sense of loyalty to Helga. Sadly, Phoebe got used to his comments.

"You kicked her out of the parlor suite last night, Mr. Pataki," Phoebe reminded him. "You told her to take her belongings and leave and that you didn't want to see her again until we arrived to New York."

Bob grumbled something incoherent, though Phoebe was certain he was cursing under his breath. "When you see her again, tell her she better get her ass back here by the end of the day. I won't tolerate her spoiled behavior anymore on this voyage, and if I have to lock her up until we get to America, then so be it!"

"B, have you seen my glasses?" they could hear Miriam slur in another room.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Miriam!" Bob yelled back. "You can't keep losing those glasses. That's been the twentieth time you misplaced them since we got on this godforsaken boat!" Bob then turned back to Phoebe. "Make sure Olga gets back here!"

Bob harrumphed away from the door to help Miriam. Phoebe shook her head. She knew that Miriam's glasses were on top of her head, as they always were after she passed out from a sixteen hour bingeing of "juice." Phoebe closed the door and looked under the bed.

"It's safe now," she told Gerald. Slowly he rolled back out and stood up, wiping the dust off his clothes.

"How did someone like Big Bob Pataki make so much money?" Gerald asked.

"Through intimidation," Phoebe said nonchalantly. "And he had a connection who was in the telephone business and was able to get him high up in the company."

"Interesting," Gerald replied. "So I guess we should go get Helga?"

"Mr. Pataki said I have until the end of the day to have Helga come back," Phoebe recalled. "I don't think we should torture her any more than she is already right now. We can go get breakfast before getting her. Besides, I'm sure her and Arnold would love some alone time before we have to interrupt them."

"I have a better idea," Gerald said. "Why don't we go walk around the promenade first and then go eat breakfast. Who knows how long we have to enjoy the sea before getting to New York?"

"According to the speed we are going, we could get into New York Monday night," Phoebe informed.

"So only two days after today," Gerald said while opening the door. "Shall we?" Phoebe smiled and left the room, followed by Gerald.

* * *

"Thank you, Nadine," Rhonda told her maid as Nadine handed her the morning cup of tea. Rhonda took a sip. "Absolute perfection."

Nadine smiled. Ever since yesterday, Rhonda had been incredible to Nadine. There hadn't been any yelling or complaining, and for the first time, Nadine had a good night's sleep. The only problems Nadine still had were still having to serve Lila and Curly still avoided her. However, Nadine knew those two people would be gone soon, whereas she will continue to work for Rhonda.

"Thank you, miss," Nadine said. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not now, Nadine," Rhonda replied. "You can go help Miss Sawyer get dressed for breakfast, and then you can take your own meal. I'll go to the late breakfast."

"Yes, miss," Nadine curtsied and left the room. Rhonda got out of bed and went to her trunk. She pulled out some purple lingerie and put it on in place of her nightgown. She went over to her vanity and brushed her hair. Then she grabbed a bottle of perfume and lightly doused herself with it. A soft knock came from the door. She went over to the door and opened it, smiling when she saw the person behind it.

"Good morning," Curly grinned as he entered. He looked at every inch of Rhonda. "Don't you look gorgeous. And smell amazing, too."

"It's French," Rhonda informed him, smiling. "Both the gown and the perfume."

"You seem happier," Curly observed. "I'm guessing you're taking back your life?"

"Every bit that I can," Rhonda said. "I have to admit, it's fun manipulating the manipulator. My secret stays safe while she goes around believing she's a princess and no one takes her seriously."

Curly chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer. "I guess this calls for a celebration," he smirked, placing his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It does indeed," she replied breathlessly. "Do you have anything new to try?"

Curly grinned mischievously. "I might have something in mind," he replied. "The question is, do you trust me?"

Rhonda nodded. Curly lifted the gown up to Rhonda's waist and took off her underwear. He then lifted her and had her wrap her legs around him, pushing her against one of the walls for support. He undid his pants and commenced the traditional thrusting.

* * *

"Helga?" Arnold asked as he knocked on the door. Helga opened to see Arnold was alone.

"Why did you knock on your own door?" she asked. "And where's Phoebe?"

"First of all, I knocked because I didn't know whether or not you were decent," he answered as he entered the room. "And secondly, no I didn't find them. I searched the entire first class and couldn't locate them."

Helga groaned. "This is just perfect," she said, pacing around the room. "So am I to be stuck here for the rest of the day until she decides to come here? She knows I'm here and I don't understand why she is taking her time to help me." While Helga normally wouldn't have minded being alone with Arnold, she would have preferred to be spending it with him in actual clothes and not her nightgown. At least, not right now.

"Are you certain you need Phoebe's help?" Arnold asked. He didn't understand what could be so complicated about a woman's dress that would require another person's assistance.

"She needs to put on the corset and then button up my dress," Helga explained.

Arnold thought for a moment about how he could get Helga dressed without Phoebe there. "Do you need to wear the corset?" he asked. "I will be willing to help button your dress up, but I don't think it's appropriate for me to work on a corset."

Helga sighed. "It may be a snug fit, but I can try. Just give me a moment." Helga grabbed the clothing and went into Gerald's room, cursing Phoebe under her breath for leaving her in a lurch like this. She took off her robe and nightgown and put her undergarments on, leaving the corset on the side. Helga grabbed her dress and started putting it on. She walked to the door and asked if Arnold could button it. He obliged, and began buttoning from the bottom up. He was about halfway through when it started getting difficult to pull the two ends of the dress together.

"It won't go anymore," Arnold strained as he tried to button the last few together. Helga tried to suck in her stomach, but Arnold was only able to get one more button clasped. "So I guess you'll need the corset."

Helga sighed. "Unbutton it," she instructed. Nervously, Arnold did as she said. Helga pulled the sleeves off and kept the dress on at the waist. She grabbed the corset and put it on her, fastening the busk. "All you need to do is lace it as tightly as you can."

Arnold looked at her in shock. Was she being serious? Did she really want him to do this? "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

Helga spun her head around. "No offense, but I don't want to be stuck here all day." _Liar. _"Plus, I'm starting to get really hungry and I don't know how much longer I can go on without any food." That part was true. While Arnold was gone, her stomach began rumbling so loud, one would have sworn that Poseidon was coming out from the sea.

Arnold gulped at the sight of complicated torture device Helga put on herself. It was one string that went through a maze of loops. But he didn't want Helga to starve. He knew by this time they missed breakfast at the dining room, but he figured he could take her to the Á la Carte restaurant as a form of apology. "How exactly do I do this?" he asked.

"Start from the center and tighten it as much as you can," Helga instructed. "Then go to the top and start yanking at the outside of the laces. Keep going until you hit the bottom and repeat it all over again."

"When will it be enough?" he asked.

"When I am unable to breathe," she told Arnold, causing his eyes to widen. "Relax, I was joking. I promise to let you know when it's enough."

With quivering hands, Arnold did as she instructed. As he began pulling on the strings at the top, Helga gasped in pain. Arnold immediately stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," his voiced stammered out. He ran his hands through his hair. Helga looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "You were doing just fine. What made you freak out so suddenly?"

"You sounded like you were in pain," Arnold said softly.

"That's because it is painful," Helga chuckled. "Olga insisted I have one so I would be in fashion, although I swear the person who invented it only did to enhance the female body for his sexual fantasies."

Normally Arnold would chuckle at Helga's wit, but he couldn't bear the thought of hearing her in pain. "Regardless, I don't want to cause you pain. In fact, I want to do the complete opposite."

Helga looked at him with curiosity. "What are you trying to say Football Head?"

Arnold sighed. This wasn't how he wanted to say it. He had hoped she would be fully dressed, but maybe it could end up as a funny story that they would tell people at parties.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is-" Arnold froze. It didn't feel right to him. He wanted it to be a special moment when he tells her, and it wasn't at that particular moment, especially when he could see her undergarments. It just simply wasn't proper for him to see her like this, let alone telling Helga that he loved her.

"Say what?" Helga asked with concern.

Arnold shook his head. "I think you should try to see if you have another dress that may fit you," he said softly. "I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable with all of this." Arnold turned and went into his room, leaving Helga alone. He couldn't look at her after almost hurting her.

She sighed to herself. She should have realized that this was taking things too far. She went to her trunk and pulled out one that didn't require a corset. It was normally for the afternoon, but she couldn't make him uncomfortable again. She got dressed and went back to his room and found Arnold sitting in a chair.

"When you were gone, I found out that I could probably go through Gerald's door without anyone suspecting anything," she told him. He looked up at her.

"I guess you're free now," he muttered and handed her some money. "For breakfast."

Helga frowned and took it. "Thanks," she replied softly, then headed towards the door. "For everything."

Arnold nodded and she walked through it, wondering what made him change so suddenly. Helga knew something happened, but she wasn't exactly sure. But there was one person that could possibly help her. With a deep breath, she headed towards Rhonda's room.

**A/N: I know, they can't catch a break, and it was a sad ending, but things will get better, I promise. Well, as better as it can be with an impending iceberg approaching, but I digress.**


	19. Let's Get Them Together

When Helga arrived to Rhonda's room, she invited Rhonda to accompany her to breakfast at the Á la Carte restaurant at Arnold's expense. Rhonda agreed and joined her since she missed the seating for breakfast. The good thing about the restaurant was they could eat at any time while it was open, unlike the dining room.

"Why are you walking funny?" Helga asked Rhonda as they headed to breakfast. "You're walking as if you have something stuck between your legs."

Rhonda laughed uncomfortably, realizing the irony behind Helga's statement since Rhonda indeed have something stuck there not that long ago. Even though she and Helga were getting close, she still didn't feel comfortable telling her about her promiscuous lifestyle. "I must have pulled something while I was sleeping," Rhonda lied. "My former nannies have told me that I move around in my sleep."

Luckily for Rhonda, Helga appeared to accept it, since she didn't ask any follow up questions. The two former enemies were seated at the restaurant and gave the waiter their orders. They made small talk about the weather and such until their food came. Then Helga delved into what happened since they last saw each other. She told Rhonda everything while Rhonda sat there quietly. Well, almost everything. Helga did fail to mention her spying on Arnold while he was changing, but it didn't contribute to Helga's current predicament, so she didn't feel the need to say anything about it.

"I barely make a sound and he freaks out, saying he didn't like that he hurt me," Helga concluded. "He wouldn't even look at me after that whole incident. And when I finally got dressed, he couldn't wait to send me out the door, and gave me money for breakfast. So I ask you, because I don't know where Phoebe is and I have nowhere else to turn, what am I supposed to take from all of this?"

"What I am still trying to understand is why you went to his room," Rhonda replied after finishing a bite of her food. "Couldn't you go somewhere else?"

Helga groaned. "I couldn't go to your room because of Lila. My idiot father wouldn't pay for another room for me, and I embarrassed myself in front of the entire first class last night. No one would have taken me in after what I said. Everyone probably hates me for what I said about Arnold, and I wouldn't blame them. I did say some inappropriate things and I'm not proud of them in the slightest, even if it was to make Lila believe I hated him."

"Lila did fall for it," Rhonda said. "However, some people thought it peculiar."

"What do you mean?" Helga asked.

"As I mentioned before, it is obvious how you feel about Arnold," Rhonda said. "And some passengers didn't believe that you were mad at him. It also became less convincing since Lila couldn't stop smiling about it. I swear, some days I believe there is nothing but air in that head of hers. Anyways, it started spreading that Lila was somehow behind it and that you and Arnold were innocent."

Helga chuckled wryly. Once again, Lila's attempts to destroy Helga exploded in her face. While this did make feel Helga better, it didn't help her with Arnold.

"That's incredible," Helga started, "but it doesn't change the fact that Arnold now fears hurting me for some bizarre reason."

"You did say that he said he cares about you," Rhonda pointed out. "I'm guessing that is the reason why he doesn't want to hurt you."

"He probably feels that way about everyone," Helga scoffed. "That's the kind of man he is. He cares about everyone and doesn't want to hurt anyone."

It took everything in Rhonda to not slap the ignorance out of Helga. How could she not see that Arnold treats her special? It was frustrating to watch, but Rhonda remained calm. "There really is only one way to find out, and that is to ask him."

"How am I supposed to do that if he won't talk to me?" Helga asked, slightly melancholic.

"I think you two need some alone time," Rhonda said bluntly. Now was the time she got to partially unveil her master plan. "Not in his bedroom and not half-dressed. You need to be somewhere where you can talk everything out, including your feelings about him."

Helga's eyes enlarged. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that step just yet. "And where exactly am I supposed to do this?" she asked. "Lila could find us anywhere on this ship."

"Not during dinner," Rhonda pointed out. "We both know that neither you nor Arnold will be eating in the dining room tonight after what happened. There's another restaurant on the ship besides this one that has a lovely atmosphere. You two can have dinner there and chat about things. And I can help you pick out a fabulous dress that will leave him speechless."

Helga looked at Rhonda with awe and suspicion. "What's in it for you, Princess?" Helga asked. After years of knowing Rhonda as a spoiled girl, it was difficult for Helga to believe Rhonda would do anything out of mere kindness.

"I have the pleasure of knowing that Lila has no idea of what is going on and will be made the fool once again," Rhonda replied, smiling wryly.

"Hmph," Helga responded. As always, there was an underlying motive with Rhonda, but Helga could understand the reasons. "Well, I guess I could go along with this. I'm just nervous how Arnold would react when I tell him."

Rhonda looked at her questioningly. "Have you even said it out loud?"

Helga shook her head. "The closest I have to saying it is in the written form," Helga explained. "Even then, I don't say those exact words. I sort of walk around it."

"If you never said it out loud, then how can you expect to say it to him?" Rhonda asked, in disbelief that someone as verbal as Helga would have difficulty saying three words. Rhonda herself has said it to several suitors and lovers. Whether or not she meant any of it was still a mystery, for she didn't know herself.

"I don't know," Helga shrugged. "I don't even know if I should say it. I mean, I saw what happened when Lila said it and I don't want that happening to me."

Rhonda leaned in towards Helga. "Lila is also an idiot and said it in front of the entire dining room. You know well enough not to do as she did. And I know Arnold cares and respects you." _Not to mention loves you back. _"And he'll appreciate the intimacy of doing it alone."

Helga sighed and leaned back in her chair, a little overwhelmed at the prospect of telling Arnold her feelings tonight. "Do you think I can do this?" Helga asked. "But what if he doesn't reciprocate? I don't think I can handle that rejection well."

Rhonda sighed. "I believe that you do have the strength to tell him. Granted, it has taken this long for you to say anything, but I believe you are prepared. As for him rejecting you, if he does, then he is the fool for not seeing the amazing woman that you are. But I know he does, and I think he will surprise you. Now, I'll make the reservations for you and I shall get him to come. And before dinner, I'll come to help you."

"Sugar!" a voice filled the room before Helga could respond. The two women turned to see Maggie headed towards their table. "Thank goodness I found you! I've been searching for you everywhere since breakfast."

"I had a late start," Helga told her. At least it was somewhat true. "Why were you searching for me?"

Maggie sat down. "I wanted to tell you that I talked to the other passengers and we had come to the conclusion that Lila must have been part of why you behaved the way you did at dinner. I knew you wouldn't have talked to Arnold in such a way if he did something hurtful to you, let alone in public. And seeing how apparent it is how you feel about him, I just knew that there was a reason behind it. You don't have to tell me the details, but did you really meant what you said to Arnold last night?"

Helga lowered her head and shook it. The guilt filled her to the brim. She hated herself for saying those words, and she could only hope one day Arnold would forgive her. And perhaps one day, she could forgive herself.

"I thought so," Maggie said quietly. "Well, why don't you come with me and tell the other women yourself so we can all put an end to those nasty rumors."

Helga looked at Rhonda for approval of her leaving. Rhonda nodded. "Just remember what I told you to do," she told Helga. Helga thanked her and left with Maggie. Rhonda closed her eyes, attempting to unwind from her conversation. While it did frustrate Rhonda to no boundary that Helga and Arnold were both oblivious of their love for one another, it did give Rhonda a sense of fulfillment to be helping them. Perhaps she could be a matchmaker and make this into a living, provided her future husband allows it.

"What did you tell it to do?" Rhonda heard a voice ask. She began to speak while slowing opening her eyes.

"I told her that she should-" Rhonda stopped when her eyes focused on the redhead that was sitting before her. She should have known. Only one person would ever refer to Helga as "it." How did she find her? "How did you know I was here?"

"When you didn't come to breakfast, I had that insipid maid of yours tell me where you went. Although she didn't tell me you would be having breakfast with that thing." Lila answered, leaning in closer. "It should do what exactly?" Lila asked, going back to her original question. Rhonda gulped silently. She couldn't believe how close she was to spilling her plan. Luckily, she knew what to say in case Lila started getting close.

"I told her that she should be ashamed of how she acted last night," Rhonda said coolly. "And if she were to ever get into the good graces of anyone in our circle, she would need to do quite a bit of groveling."

"Has it told you anything?" Lila asked, wanting to know all of Helga's secrets.

Rhonda chuckled. "She's incredibly stubborn. She actually believes that she did nothing wrong and refuses to apologize to Arnold for what she said."

"My goodness," Lila said. "That thing is ever so unbelievable and ever so foolish for allowing Arnold to leave its grasp. And thank God for that! Do you think he will ever talk to me again? He must be quite vulnerable right now."

Rhonda shook her head. "He is upset right now. He was almost rude to me. I can't imagine how he would react if you tried to speak to him now. For the moment, just give him some space and go talk to other people."

Lila sighed. "There's a problem with that. When I went to the breakfast table, only Olga would talk to me. Everyone else avoided me as if I had cholera or something of that sort. Why do you think that is?"

Rhonda shrugged. "Perhaps they are a little uncomfortable with your confession the night before. For the past two nights, they have seen Arnold get embarrassed in front of them, and a lot of people respect him. They may not want to associate with someone who does that to someone they admire."

"If that were the case, then why was Margaret Brown just sitting with you and that thing?" Lila asked.

"Those two are so alike," Rhonda explained. "Margaret would always side with Helga because they have a special bond. I wouldn't worry about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some matters that require my attention." Rhonda stood up and left, leaving Lila to herself. What Rhonda didn't know was that she followed Maggie to the restaurant and overheard their conversation. With Maggie's loud voice, it wasn't hard to hear. With a deep breath, Lila stood up and headed to where she could find out why Rhonda was lying to her.

* * *

Arnold sat at his table for what he felt to be hours. After Helga left, he didn't have the strength to move. His thoughts reflected back to what occurred ever since last night and he couldn't help but be overwhelmed with everything. He would have been able to handle the fighting and sleeping with Helga. Even seeing her half-dressed was manageable. But hearing her whimper as he attempted to tighten her corset was too much for him to deal with.

And it scared him. It scared him out of his mind that one soft sound of pain from Helga could debilitate him. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he caused her even more pain. His thoughts were so absorbed by Helga that he didn't notice Gerald and Phoebe enter the room.

"Arnold?" Gerald said, waving his hand in front of his employer's face. Arnold shook his head to block out the thoughts and looked at Gerald. "Is everything all right? Where's Helga?"

"She left some time ago," Arnold replied. "And where have you two been? I've searched this whole damn ship for you two and couldn't find you at all. Helga needed you this morning, Phoebe. And because you weren't here, I had to help her get dressed and try to tie a torture device around her, which only caused pain for her! I shouldn't have to be doing this! That is not what I am for; that is your job and you should have been here to do it. Or better yet, it should have been done in her own room because she should not have been here in the first place!"

Arnold panted while Phoebe and Gerald stared at him with their mouths agape. They have never seen Arnold act like such a madman before. Neither realized how their plan could have failed so miserably.

"Um, Phoebe?" Gerald spoke softly. "Do you think you can give me and Arnold some time alone? I think he needs someone to talk to."

"Certainly," she replied. "I'm just going to gather her belongings and take them back to her room." She looked to Arnold. "Her father insists that she comes back to the parlor suite. I guess he realized he may have been impulsive in kicking her out in the first place. And based on your reaction earlier, this is probably for the best. I'll be out in a moment and then I should probably go look for her." Hastily Phoebe gathered Helga's belongings and left. Gerald sat down next to his agitated employer.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Gerald asked, astounded by what he witnessed. "In all the years I have known, you have never had an outburst like that. Not even when you rejected Lila. And then you yelled at Phoebe of all people. Seriously, what is going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Gerald," Arnold grumbled, staring at the table where two used teacups sat.

"Well, I do," Gerald replied. "And what is this about putting something on Helga and seeing her half-dressed? Did something happen between you two?"

"I said, I don't want to talk about it," Arnold enunciated, starting to get irritated. "I expect you of all people to respect my wishes." Arnold stood up and started to head to the door. "This place needs cleaning."

Gerald got up and blocked Arnold from leaving. "I may be your valet, but you will not talk to me in that way ever again. Now whatever has gotten you upset is not going to get better if you keep it bottled inside, especially if you're going to talk to people that way. So for your sake and to spare others from your personality change, you're going to sit down and you're going to tell me everything that happened. Do I make myself clear?"

Arnold, too stunned to argue, mechanically turned and sat down back in his seat. Gerald, relieved that Arnold didn't fire him on the spot, sighed in relief and sat next to him.

"What I am about to tell you I never told anyone before," Arnold said quietly. "Not even to myself." Arnold shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Helga. I have been for several years. I've been trying to find the courage to tell her for the past few days with no luck. The furthest I have gotten was telling her I care about her."

Gerald smiled, thrilled that Arnold finally admitted his feelings about Helga. But he could see that Arnold was pained about something else. "But that's not what made you lash out."

Arnold shook his head. "As far as what happened this morning, she was wanting to get out, so I went to find you because I was sure you were Phoebe. When I couldn't find you, she asked me to help her with her corset. Reluctantly, I agreed. I barely started when I started hurting her. It killed me hearing her in pain. I shut down. I could barely look at her afterwards because I was so ashamed."

Arnold started choking up. "Honestly, I feel like the universe is trying to tell me that I'm not meant to tell Helga how I feel about her," he admitted, close to tears. "It shouldn't be this difficult, Gerald, and the fact that I hurt her by a small touch worries me that I'll hurt her more if we get closer. I can't do that to her. I love her too much."

Gerald sighed, now understanding why Arnold was acting the way he was. It killed Gerald to see Arnold like that and he was in disbelief that Arnold was willing to give up after only a few days of trying when he had been hiding for years.

"Firstly, thank you for finally speaking your feelings about Helga," Gerald said. "I already knew, but I'm glad you finally confessed. To be frank, everyone knows. That is, everyone except Helga. But that's beside the point, which actually brings me to my second point: you need to tell her. She deserves to know how you feel about her, and I think it's a little ridiculous that you aren't willing to try harder."

Arnold sat there dumbfounded. Everyone knew? Was it that obvious? And Gerald was pushing him to keep trying to tell Helga how he felt without any sarcasm? Did he just step into another dimension or something?

"Even if I do tell her, I still hurt her," Arnold rebutted. "I can't deal if I hurt her again."

Gerald rubbed his temples. Why does he have to be so dense? "You barely touched her," Gerald told him. "And she wears a corset all the time. I'm sure she's used to that pain. Are you going to hurt her? Yes. Is she going to hurt you? She's done it before and you still love her. If you allow fear to stop you, you are never going to be happy." Gerald stood up. "Knowing Helga, it will probably hurt her more if you keep quiet than if you tell her. Just think about it."

"Where are you going?" Arnold asked.

"I have work to do," Gerald shrugged. "But don't give up just yet. You spent all this time loving her. It would be a shame to toss it all away because you're afraid."

Gerald left the room, leaving Arnold to his thoughts. He pondered what Gerald said to him, and realized he was right. Arnold had spent all this time loving her without her knowing, and where did that get him? Nowhere. She had to know. And he had to tell her. And this time, there will be no distractions.

* * *

"Good, there you are," Lila said as she closed the door behind her. "I'm going to be blunt about this. I need you to spy on Miss Lloyd. I recently found out she has been lying to me about certain matters and I want to know the entire story. We have an agreement with each other and I'm starting to suspect she is not keeping up with her side of the bargain. So you are going to find out everything she is doing and report back to me, especially if it includes Arnold Shortman and that monstrosity known as Helga Pataki. If you don't, I will make sure that you never work again and you end up in the poor house. It has been ever so pleasant talking to you."

Lila left without another word, leaving the maid standing there shell-shocked. There was no way Nadine could be neutral in this now. If she tells, it could ruin people's lives and her now improved career in the Lloyd household. If she says nothing, then both Rhonda and herself would be ruined and with no security. In a panic, Nadine rushed out the door to find the one person who can give her strength. That is, if he would talk to her again.

**A/N: I know, a lot of Arnold and Helga the past few chapters. While I'm sure no one is complaining, I will make sure to get back to some of the other story lines in the next few chapters. Besides, sometime needs to pass before this night's dinner scene. I know, talk about building suspense, but it will come out sometime this week. That I can guarantee.**


	20. For Whom I'm Working

**A/N: Like I said before, I will focusing these next couple of chapters on the other stories besides Arnold and Helga, but they will be back for the highly anticipated dinner scene and may pop up occasionally in these updates. But I do promise that there will be plenty of drama and some twists along the way. You have been warned.**

By the next morning, Harold, Sid, and Stinky continued on their ruse by having Harold alienate himself from the other two. He left early morning for breakfast so Sid and Stinky could talk to Eugene, who, luckily for them, was still in asleep. When he awoke, he saw the faces of the two men with usually large noses staring back at him.

"Good morning," he said in a chipper voice that both Sid and Stinky knew to be false. As he began to climb out of his bunk, he slipped on the floor and landed on his back. "I'm okay," he groaned. Eugene slowly got back up to his feet. Neither Sid nor Stinky offered to help him, but simply watched, trying to observe his behavior.

"What's going on?" Eugene asked optimistically. Sid and Stinky looked at one another, and then back to Eugene.

"I'm afraid we have a bit of bad news," Sid spoke. Eugene's face fell into confusion and concern. "We aren't going to be performing the skits anymore during the trip."

"Gosh, that's horrible!" Eugene exclaimed, trying to hide the frustration that was building up inside. "May I ask why the sudden change of heart?"

"It's the situation with Harold," Sid continued, sighing. "We're still unhappy with him and how he wanted most of the money. We barely spoke to him since it all happened so we feel that it would be best if we don't continue. We don't want the audience to know that we are having problems and we fear the tension will be felt onstage."

"And we reckon if they feel the tension, they won't pay as much," Stinky chimed in. "And if we aren't making a lot of money, then what is the point in performing?"

Eugene sat down to this news, though he completely missed the bed and fell back down on the floor. After confirming he was okay, he got back up.

"Well, gosh," Eugene said. "That's horrible that you three can't figure out how to be friends again. You seemed so close when I first met you."

"There's just one more thing," Sid said. Eugene looked at him with curiosity. "We need you to give our money back. We will still let you have a quarter of the profits since that is what we promised, but we ask that we take care of our shares from now on."

The frustration inside Eugene grew. Even though they believed he only had the money from the second night, he was giving back roughly a third of the total profits. It was money he could have used.

"You do know I only have from Thursday night, correct?" he asked, giving everything he had into trying not to sound irritated. "I believe Harold may still have from Wednesday night's performance, which will be an additional five dollars."

"That may be," Sid began. "But we doubt he is giving that back, so we are only going to consider Thursday night's, and the deal was for you to have a quarter of the profits."

"I see," Eugene said curtly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out twelve dollars and handed it to Sid. "Now that's settled, I'm going to go change and head to breakfast." Eugene grabbed some clothes and left the room, heading to the lavatory. Sid and Stinky looked at each other.

"What did you think about that?" Sid asked.

"He certainly didn't seem happy to give us the money back," Stinky replied. "I'm not sure if he has the rest of it or not."

"I'm not sure, either," Sid said. "But there was something about the way he said things that seemed disingenuous. It was as if he was trying too hard to be nice."

"Do you reckon he's hiding something?" Stinky asked.

"I believe it is a strong possibility," Sid said as his stomach grumbled. "Let's head to breakfast. We might find him there and we can see if he does anything suspicious."

"That sounds like a great idea," Stinky agreed. Both men left the room and headed for the dining room. "Do you think they have any lemon pudding this morning?"

* * *

Nadine walked frantically through the corridors of the first class staterooms, searching for Curly. Even though he was mad at her, Nadine knew he would be the one to help her figure out what to do in this situation. The passengers stared at Nadine as she passed by them. If they weren't on a ship, they would have thought she escaped from an asylum. But Nadine didn't care what she looked like. All that mattered to her was finding him.

And there he was, walking the corridors of C deck. He looked as handsome as she last saw him. Though that was only yesterday, it felt much longer to her. She moved faster to him.

"Curly!" she cried out. Curly looked up to see her headed his way and tried ducking behind another corridor in hopes to avoid her. He didn't have to pretend to be polite to her if she couldn't find him. His attempts had proven futile when she caught up to him. "Please wait!" she panted as she finally caught up to him.

With a sigh, he looked in her direction. "Can I help you?" he said flatly. So much for trying to be polite, but whenever Nadine was around, he felt exhausted. She was never willing to do anything to improve her life, yet she would complain about her mistress constantly. To Curly, it didn't make any sense.

"I need you to help me with an urgent matter," she panted, trying to catch her breath. Curly stood there, waiting impatiently for what she had to say this time.

"Do you remember me telling you about my mistress being blackmailed by the dairy farmer?" she asked when she was able to breathe once again. Curly nodded, moving in his hand in a circular motion for her to continue. "Well, the farm girl asked me to spy on my mistress. She found out that she has been lying about some things. About what, I'm not entirely sure, but I believe it to involve the two people who love each other and won't admit it. Apparently there was a large commotion in the dining room last night that involved them, which left the farm girl happy, but this morning it has been circulating that she had a part in it."

Curly had somewhat of an idea to what Nadine was referring. He had heard about the incident from several members of the crew, but he couldn't remember who was involved. He only knew that Rhonda was not the one causing the inappropriate display of emotions.

"The dairy girl grew angry when she found this out and said if I don't give her information, then she will tell my mistress's secret and make sure I end up in the poorhouse," Nadine continued, her voice growing more upset with each word. "I can't go back to the poorhouse but I don't want to be disloyal to my mistress now. She was starting to be much better than before. She hasn't yelled at me once since yesterday midmorning and has even thanked me. I have no idea what to do. Please help me!"

Curly gazed upon the distraught maid as she fell to her knees and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Have you tried talking to her about what you told me?" he simply asked.

Nadine shook her head. The thought never even crossed her mind to do such a thing. She was so used to avoiding the wrath of her employer that confrontation was never an option.

"Then I suggest that you tell her," Curly continued. "Tell her everything you know about the blackmail. Then maybe she can think of something to do to take care of this problem."

"Won't you please come with me?" Nadine asked. "This will be my first time going to her about something and I don't want to mess it up. I need you for support. And I feel that I will do better if you were next to me."

Curly shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't his position to mediate between employer and employee, even if their relationship appeared to be improving.

"I'm not sure if that is for the best," he told her.

"It will be," Nadine insisted, getting up off the floor. "I want to help her not be controlled by this person who pretends to be high society. As much as I may have complained about my mistress, she does deserve a lot better than that."

Curly sighed. He still didn't feel comfortable doing this, but he can tell that Nadine was willing to do what she can to help. For the first time, she wasn't going to be neutral and let everything run its course. She was going to try and change it, and Curly had a newfound respect for her.

"All right, I will come," he said. "But you have to be the one to tell her. It's not my place to meddle."

"Oh, thank you!" Nadine exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace. She pecked him on the lips and dragged him to her employer. Soon, all Curly could think of was that kiss. It was quick, but it was sweet, almost as if there was some love behind that kiss.

"Curly? What are you doing with Nadine?" a voice asked, shaking him away from his thoughts. His eyes expanded even more behind his red framed glasses. Why was Rhonda here?

"Miss Lloyd, there is something I have to tell you," Nadine said. "Curly came to support me."

"What's the meaning of this?" Rhonda asked him. "Why does my maid need support from you?"

Curly's face paled. Maid? "Nadine is your maid?" he asked Rhonda slowly. She nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He turned to Nadine. "Miss Lloyd is your mistress?"

"Yes," Nadine replied.

Curly looked at both women in shock. He had heard both talk poorly about the other one. Nadine was the incompetent maid while Rhonda was the overbearing employer. And he had talked ill of both of them.

"Shit," he cursed to himself.

* * *

As Sid and Stinky were heading to the saloon, Harold was lying on a bench on the upper deck, holding his stomach. He had a bet going on with another passenger to see who could eat the most oatmeal in two minutes. Harold was named victorious once again, earning an additional three dollars with a side of a massive stomachache. He wasn't sure if his friends had left the room yet, so he figured the next best place was the upper deck. His theory was proven incorrect as he threw up over the side of the ship.

"What did you do this time?" a female voice asked. Harold groaned, not in illness, but in embarrassment. He didn't want Patty to see him like this.

"Five bowls of oatmeal in two minutes," he explained as he spewed more vomit into the Atlantic Ocean. Patty shook her head. She wasn't sure if what he did was stupid or impressive, but given his current state, she chose the former.

"Why on Earth would you eat so much?" Patty asked him, handing him a handkerchief when his head popped back up from over the railings. He took it and wiped his face.

"Money," he replied, his face still a bit green. "I can eat a lot, but I do tend to get sick afterwards. I figured it's worth doing so if I can make some money from it. I've actually thought of making a living by eating competitively. I would have different people challenge me to different food and see who can eat the most the fastest, and the winner gets money."

"That's both incredible and disgusting at the same time," Patty laughed. "However, I don't doubt you would make a lot of money by eating. You seem to be a natural."

"Well, it certainly beats working in a factory," Harold retorted, heading back to the bench. "That's what I was doing before coming on the Titanic. It was the worst. You always had to be careful or you might lose something. I knew a man that lost his whole arm because he wasn't paying attention to where he was going."

"That's horrible," Patty said, sitting next to Harold. "I can see why you wanted to get out of there, but why go to America?"

"To take part of the American Dream," Harold answered. "Sid, Stinky, and I want to become famous and make a lot of money. We're not the smartest fellows so we figure we can go to California and be a part of the moving pictures."

"It sounds amazing," Patty said in awe. It amazed her to see someone with such ambition to make his life better.

"What about you?" Harold asked. "What are your dreams?"

Patty sat there for a moment. She never had anyone ask her that before. She figured that she would be married and have children by now. However, life got in the way."

"I guess right now it would be for my parents to get better," she replied melancholically. "They became sick a year ago and we used all of our money for treatments. When we ran out of money, I had to start working. Money was hard to come by, and there was a time where I was in the streets. It was the most horrible time in my life. Then someone came and told me of a job opportunity with White Star Line. I quickly sent in a letter of interest and was hired on for the Titanic to be a housekeeper. It's a decent pay and most of my money will be wired immediately to my parents. This will be able to have them live comfortably for a few months, along with pay for their medicines."

Harold grabbed Patty's hand. "You are one incredible woman," he told her. "You work so hard to help others. You help your family and you helped me come to better terms with Sid and Stinky."

Patty looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I know you made up that story about Sour McGee," Harold confessed. "I asked one of the other stewards about it and he had no clue about what I was talking. And Sid and Stinky told me what you said to keep his ghost away, so I know you tricked them into apologizing. Even though I wished they would have done it themselves, I must thank you for pushing us to the path of apologizing."

Patty smiled. "And you believe that you think you are an idiot," she laughed. "It sounds as if you are smarter than you appear."

"Maybe I am," he replied, looking into her brown eyes. They looked like chocolate, which made Harold like them even more. They also made him hungry. "I'm going to get some more food," he declared.

Patty stared at him as if he grew an extra head. "But you just threw up over the side of the rail," she pointed out. "How could you possibly want more food after that?"

"My stomach is empty now," he answered. Harold stood up and kissed Patty's hand. "Until we see each other again."

With that, Harold left. Patty watched as he headed back downstairs, then turned her gaze to her hand. It was the first time a gentleman had ever kissed her there. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"You two are truly adorable," a voice mocked from behind. Patty groaned softly, knowing the owner of it. She turned to see that she was correct in her assumption. He stood there, leaning against the wall, smirking at Patty.

"What are you doing here, Eugene?" Patty asked, frowning and crossing her arms.

"I just wanted to thank you," Eugene said, pushing off the wall and walking towards Patty. "Because of your little interference, I had to give back all but my share of the money from the second night to those three imbeciles. You now owe me twelve dollars."

"I don't owe you anything," Patty scoffed as she was about to walk off, but Eugene pulled her back.

"I beg to differ," Eugene replied. "You seem to actually owe me more than before now. Or did you forget that I got you this position?"

"You got me this position so I could sneak you on board to steal from the other passengers," Patty pointed out as she pulled her arm away.

"Which was going marvelously," Eugene interjected. "They responded well to my act as the clumsy fool. And you were able to distract one of them when he fell in love with you which helped create a rift. Then you had to develop a soft spot for him and reunite the Three Musketeers. Yes, I know they reconciled, even though they lied to my face about it. Listening to you and that vat of lard provided me with the truth. And now they refuse to perform the skits and no longer trust me to hold onto the money." Eugene moved in closer and spoke quietly so only Patty could hear him. "And in case you forgot, I also got you this position to get you off the streets and making honest money to help your parents. Does your gentleman caller know what you used to do before this?"

Patty remained silent. "I'll take that as a no," Eugene guessed. "So unless you want him to know the truth and for you to go back to that life, you will get me that money back, along with some interest."

Patty sighed in defeat. She couldn't go back to the life she had before. It shamed her what she had to do to aid her sickly parents, and Eugene managed to get her this position. She just didn't realize the costs it would have.

"Fine, I'll help, but I'm not taking money from those three," Patty informed him. "I can't do that to Harold."

"So that soft spot is larger than I thought," Eugene observed Patty's behavior. "Well you don't have to worry your pretty little heart. I won't be taking money from them. If any money disappears, they would automatically suspect me. I can't have that. So instead, you're going to find a way to sneak me into first class. We'll go tonight during dinner so I can figure out who has the most valuables. And then, on the last night, I'll go back and loot as much as I can and you will hide them in your cabin until it is time to depart."

Patty immediately became uncomfortable. She had already broken the rules by smuggling Eugene in, but bringing him into first class was riskier. The gates remained locked, keeping the third class away from the other passengers. It wasn't a White Star Line policy but rather an American immigration policy. And the way Eugene was dressed would give him away easily.

"I have to work dinner tonight," Patty said, trying to excuse herself from taking him to first class. Eugene shook his head and moved closer.

"Then I suggest you find someone to take your shift," Eugene threatened. "And get a uniform for me from the laundry. We don't need people to know from where I come. Do you understand?"

Patty nodded and began to leave when Eugene pulled her back one more time. "What else could you possibly want?"

"Your discretion, of course," Eugene answered her. "You better not go around telling anyone our plan, especially your little suitor, or else." Eugene pulled his jacket away to reveal a revolver sitting in its holster.

"You plan on killing me?" Patty asked. Eugene chuckled.

"No, of course not," he said, his grip on her tightening so hard it causes her to whimper. "I'll kill your Romeo, followed quickly by Benvolio and Mercutio. Now, with you, White Star Line will wonder about your disappearance, but they wouldn't care much if they lose three third class passengers. And I know you won't tell anyone about this because you will have to explain what I'm doing on board without a ticket. You'll still lose your job and end up back from where you came. Only with that, you'll have the lives of three men hanging over your head."

Patty remained silent. She knew he was right. There was no way around it, and she would never forgive herself if something happened to Harold. She wasn't sure if she loved him, but she knew well enough that she cared enough she didn't want him killed. With her head hung low, she nodded to him.

"I'll do it," she whispered. "And I'll keep quiet." Eugene released her arm and she walked off, rubbing where he held onto her. She breathed deeply to try and calm her nerves, but to no avail. She began to dread what was to happen that night, but she dreaded more of what would happen if she didn't go through with the plan.

**A/N: Told you there would be twists. And like with many of the twists in this story, this one just came to me. I don't know how, but I knew I wanted something that no one would have expected ever, and so I found it. Anyways, I hope you weren't too upset with the little amount of Arnold and Helga in this chapter, but I promise there will be more of them to come soon. Plus, I've neglected time to those in third class and I figured they could use some of the spotlight. Not to mention it was about time Curly found out that Nadine works for Rhonda. How will it all end up between this triangle? You'll just have to wait until the next chapter.**


	21. Not a Word to Anyone!

**A/N: On a side note, the plan between Eugene and Patty was inspired by the 1996 made-for-TV movie, **_**Titanic. **_**If you haven't seen it, it's on YouTube. A little cheesy, but it's a little more accurate than the James Cameron version (I'm sorry but there was no way Jack and Rose would have ever met, but I digress). Plus, it has Tim Curry in it, who plays the character Eugene is partially based on, and I absolutely adore Tim Curry. On a side note, I just realized I made the two main antagonists of this story the redheads. That was merely by coincidence. I have no ill feelings towards ginger, though I can go without Lila, but she is needed for this story. Anyways, enough with my yammering and onto the chapter.**

"You were the one who told me to leave the cabin, so I left the cabin," Helga explained the hundredth time to her father. Phoebe had finally found her and told her of Big Bob's wishes. Helga knew she couldn't avoid him forever, so she decided to go back. From the moment she stepped back into the parlor suite, Bob had berated Helga for her so called disappearing act.

"And where did you spend the night?" Bob interrogated his youngest daughter. "You had no money to purchase a room."

"Maggie Brown offered me solace in her cabin," Helga said firmly. When they were alone, Helga confessed her night with Arnold to Maggie. Knowing that it would create even more scandal, Maggie allowed Helga to say she was in her room if her parents asked.

"Crazy woman," Bob muttered. "She's a bad influence on you."

"Since when do you care?" Helga asked, standing from the seat she was once in. "You can't even bother to say my name correctly!"

"Watch your mouth, little lady!" Bob bellowed. "I'm your father and demand some respect! I've warned you what would happen if you were insubordinate again. You are not allowed to join us for dinner."

"Imagine my surprise," Helga muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"And as added punishment, you are not allowed to see Alfred again during the remainder of the voyage," Bob said, fed up with Helga's attitude.

Helga's face paled as she fell back onto the couch. Did he just say that? "And pray tell, why am I not allowed to see _Arnold _again?"

"Your egregious behavior last night is going to cost be business with Arnie," Bob explained. "At this point, I'll be lucky if he continues to conduct business with the company. And if we lose money, it'll be your fault!"

Helga pursed her lips. He can't be doing this. Not when she was finally getting the chance to tell Arnold how she felt.

"What if I wanted to apologize to him?" Helga asked. Hopefully, Bob would be understanding of her wanting to do that and will allow her to talk to him. Her hopes were instantly shattered.

"You will stay away from him," Bob warned. "If I find out you talk to him while we are on this godforsaken boat, you will be locked up in your cabin until we reach New York. As for today, you will remain in the cabin until dinner. Do I make myself clear?"

Helga nodded, donning her infamous scowl. Bob grumbled to himself as he left the room. Helga sat there, trembling about what happened. Since when did Bob really care about what she did? Helga knew he wouldn't check on her the entire day. It wasn't the first time Helga misbehaved, and if those times gave any indication, he would forget about it soon enough. Standing up, she hurried over to Phoebe's room.

"Yes, Helga?" Phoebe asked as she opened the door. Helga walked in to avoid anyone hearing her.

"Phoebe, did you happen to hear what just happened in the other room?" Helga questioned.

"Every word," Phoebe admitted. It was near impossible to tune out Bob's voice whenever he was yelling. "What do you need me to do?"

Helga smiled, grateful that her maid knew her so well. Phoebe was well aware if Helga came to her after a fight with Bob, she needed help. "I need you to inform Rhonda about the situation and tell her I still want her to come here before dinner to help me get dressed. She will know what else to do"

"Of course, Helga," Phoebe replied. "Do you mind my asking why she will be helping you dress for dinner?"

Helga bit her bottom lip. She could try to come up with a pathetic excuse, or she could finally say it aloud. After all, Phoebe deserves to hear it from her.

"I was wanting to meet with Arnold tonight for dinner," Helga explained. "Rhonda is assisting me in this endeavor. I am planning on dressing my best because I am going to tell him I-" The words once again got caught in Helga's throat, but this time she refused to let them stay there. She closed her eyes. "I-I l-l-love him," she stuttered.

Phoebe smiled at Helga. Finally, she allowed herself to admit it. Phoebe couldn't be prouder of her employer than at that moment. She made a silent vow that she will do whatever it takes to have them come together.

"I will go find her now," Phoebe assured Helga, then left in search of Rhonda.

* * *

It was almost time for dinner in third class when Harold, Stinky, and Sid reconvened in a storage closet that Patty provided. Harold had not seen the other two all day, and none of them heard from Eugene.

"It's sometimes as if he doesn't really exist," Stinky said. "Do you think he may be a vampire or something?"

"A vampire?" Sid asked, turning his head in each direction, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "That's ridiculous, hehe. Boy howdy, did it get warm in here."

"Haha," Harold bellowed, pointing his finger to his paranoid companion. "Look at me, I'm a scary vampire! Better watch out before I bite you. Hope there's no garlic anywhere!"

"Do you want to get punched in the face?" Sid threatened. His hand curled into a fist and waved it in front of Harold. The three men started bickering over one another while Patty stared at them in confusion. Didn't she just get them talking to each other again? Were they not just getting along? She didn't just dream all of it, did she?

Rolling her eyes, Patty placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. All three men turned and faced each other, eyes wide and mouths opened far enough to see their uvulas. "Why are you fighting?" Patty asked. "Shouldn't you be focused on finding out who Eugene really is instead of attacking one another? That is what Eugene wants you to do."

The three men looked at her and snickered. Patty's confused look deepened, not knowing why they have transformed into hysterical hyenas.

"We're just fooling with one another, Miss Patty," Stinky explained between laughs. "Sid's not really mad at Harold. At least, not in this case. We tend to make fun of Sid with his fear of vampires and dirt." Sid shrugged, for he knew Stinky was accurate.

"Just like we make fun of Stinky when he talks about lemon pudding," Harold added, heaving deep breaths to calm down. Stinky nodded in agreement.

"Or Harold for being fat," Sid chimed in, still spouting out a few giggles.

"I'm not fat!" Harold argued, scowling at Sid. The laughter disappeared. "I'm husky!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Sid joked, earning him a punch in the arm by Harold. "Ow! Anyways, it's all in good fun. We do this all the time."

"I'm just going to say this once," Patty began. "You are all odd, but entertaining. I can see why you want to go to California. You can have an amazing act together."

The men blushed by the compliment. "Pardon me, Miss Patty, but have you been able to find out anything regarding Eugene?" Stinky asked, bringing everyone back to the topic that brought them together in the first place.

"Unfortunately, I haven't, Stinky," Patty lied. She couldn't chance letting them know her current relationship with the redheaded roommate. Not when their lives were in danger if she tells them. But that doesn't mean she can't try to help them out. She just had to figure out exactly how. "However, I found out that he was planning on skipping dinner tonight so I will try to follow him and see where he goes."

"But, don't you have to work in the dining room tonight?" Harold asked. Meals were something Patty always did, and Harold almost remembered her daily schedule.

"I have someone taking my place," Patty explained, which was indeed the truth. "Right now, it's more important to know what is going on with him."

"I just don't want you risking your job if it too much," Harold said concernedly. While he was grateful for what Patty is doing for them, he didn't want her getting into trouble. Little did he know that she already has.

"I will be all right," she assured, then looked at her clock. "It's almost dinner, and I need to prepare. Thankfully since he won't be in there, you will get to sit next to each other."

"Boy howdy, that's the best news I've heard all day!" Sid exclaimed. The three men waved Patty farewell and headed off to dinner. Patty walked in the opposite direction of them and into the laundry room. She looked upon the racks of clothes before her. With an agonizing sigh, she took one of the steward uniforms.

* * *

Rhonda stared at the two people in front of her. To her left was her maid, oblivious as ever, while to the right was her current lover, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. They stood before her together. Why were they together? What could Nadine possibly have to say that required Curly to be there? Did Nadine find out her secret?

Just moments ago, Rhonda was excited. She began to make arrangements for Arnold and Helga to meet at the other restaurant on the ship and began looking into her wardrobe to see if there was anything that Helga could borrow. Rhonda knew Helga wasn't the fanciest dresser, so she wanted to have some backups just in case Helga had nothing. Rhonda was on her way to meet with Arnold to convince him to go to dinner with Helga when she was stopped by Nadine and Curly. Now, all thoughts of meeting Arnold were degenerated by fear her secret was out.

"Will someone tell me what is going on?" Rhonda asked impatiently.

Nadine looked over at Curly, who nodded in encouragement. The maid looked back to employer and took a deep breath. "I know your secret," Nadine said slowly, her eyes squeezed tightly shut in fear of Rhonda's response.

Rhonda's eyes widened in fear. "How could you possibly know?" she asked in a low tone.

"I read it in Miss Sawyer's journal," Nadine said, cowering in fear.

"Lila knows?" she exclaimed. Her heartbeat raced as Nadine nodded.

"There's more," Nadine trembled out. "Miss Sawyer asked me to spy on you. She said if I didn't, then she'll expose your secret to everyone and I'll be sent to the poorhouse."

Rhonda turned her focus to Curly, still in shock by what she just heard. "You knew that she knew this? When did she find out?"

Curly chuckled uncomfortably. "I was with Nadine when she discovered it the other morning. She appeared upset so I comforted her as she cleaned what I'm guessing is Miss Sawyer's cabin."

Normally, Rhonda would have been more focused on the fact that her maid was in a room alone with a man with whom Rhonda was having coitus, but there were more important matters that required her attention. "How could have Lila figured it out? I thought you were careful when you left the room each time!"

Curly looked at her dumbfounded. Nadine was just as confused. "I thought Miss Sawyer walked on you?" Nadine asked. "At least, that's what she wrote."

"Don't be daft," Rhonda scolded. "That is a lie! Lila never walked in on me and-" She stopped when she realized exactly to what Nadine was referring. "Are you by any chance referring to the Harvest Ball?"

"Yes, miss," Nadine answered. "What else would I mean? And why were you asking Curly if he was careful in leaving the room?"

"It's none of your business, Nadine!" Rhonda exclaimed quickly. She began to fan herself she began to glisten from the increase of heat being produced by her body. Nadine's face slowly morphed into shock as the pieces began to connect together.

"Oh. My. God," Nadine dragged out. She pointed her finger to the two who stood next to her. "You have been sneaking to her bed?" Nadine asked Curly. She was horrified when Curly refused to either answer or look at her. "All this time, you've been with her? After everything I told you?"

"To be fair, you didn't tell me who your mistress was," Curly debated. "You said you didn't want me to know in fear that you would be in trouble."

"What did you say about me?" Rhonda asked Nadine. Nadine bit her bottom lip, recognizing she said too much. She refused to look at her employer. Getting agitated, she turned to Curly. "What did she say about me?"

"Um, well," Curly fumbled out, trying to find the words to say.

"Miss Lloyd!" a small cried out. Rhonda shifted the gaze to where the new voice was coming from. It was Phoebe. "I must speak with you urgently."

"Not now, Phoebe," Rhonda said, irritated by the new distraction. "I'm in the middle of something important. Whatever it is, it can wait."

"It's about Miss Pataki," Phoebe blurted out before Rhonda could continue. "Mr. Pataki forced her to come back to the room and has confined her to her room until dinner."

Rhonda rolled her eyes. "How is that of any importance to me?" she asked. "And if it is some pathetic reason, I'll box your ears. I don't care if you're not my maid."

Phoebe was taken aback by Rhonda's threat. Sure, Phoebe knew Rhonda to be dictating, but not violent. Then again, she didn't know Rhonda that well. And judging by the lack of surprise from the other two people beside her, this wasn't the first time she had threatened someone. Slowly, Phoebe walked closer to Rhonda and spoke softly so only could hear.

"Mr. Pataki also forbade Miss Pataki from seeing Mr. Shortman for the remainder of the voyage in fear that it will ruin business deals. If they are caught together, then Miss Pataki will not be allowed out of the parlor suite until we arrive in New York."

Rhonda's face softened. She couldn't allow Helga to spend the rest of the trip without neither her nor Arnold knowing the truth of their feelings for each other. They had to do this soon before Helga lost the courage and all hope was lost. Rhonda turned her attention back to her lover and maid.

"I have to take care of this," she stated. "However, that doesn't mean I'm finished discussing what is going on here. I need both of you to keep quiet about this. Nadine, you work for me, not Miss Sawyer. I'm the one who determines whether or not you end up in the poorhouse, not her. For now, just tell her you couldn't find me all day. And if you tell Lila this, you will have more troubles than ending up in the poor house." Nadine gulped and nodded. "As for you, Curly, part of the contract we have together requires your discretion. I expect that you keep that bargain if you want your part of it."

Curly nodded as well. At the moment, he was relieved that he didn't have to be in the middle of the quarrel. And he still wanted his money, so the best thing for him to do was keep his mouth shut.

"Good," Rhonda said. "I shall see you both after dinner." With that, she and Phoebe walked away. Curly let out a sigh of relief.

"That was intense," Curly said to Nadine. "But at least you don't have to worry about her being mad because you knew the secret. You did well, Nadine. I have to say that I'm quite proud of you for telling her what you knew."

Nadine remained silent as she stared at the wall in front of her. She couldn't feel when Curly placed his hand on her shoulder. She couldn't feel anything.

"Nadine?" Curly called. "Can you hear me?"

Slowly, Nadine turned her head to the steward. "How long have you been seeing her?"

"Since the first day of the voyage," he admitted.

"Why did Miss Lloyd mention something about a contract to you?" Curly froze in his spot as his hand dropped from her shoulder and back down to his side. "I assume it had to involve your hidden, carnal relationship with her. So what are you getting from this? Money?"

When Curly refused to answer, Nadine shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe you," she spat. "I can't believe that you're a male prostitute. Here I was, thinking you were this well-educated, cultured traveler, and you're nothing but a male who're, selling your body to someone like her. Yes I know she was getting better, but I told you what she was like before then, and yet you still chose to be with her."

Curly opened his mouth to speak, but Nadine began to storm off. But not before turning back and looking at Curly. "And to think that minutes ago, I admired you. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone this. You're not worth ruining my entire life for." With a huff, she walked away, just as the tears began to fall.

* * *

"What does Helga want me to do?" Rhonda asked Phoebe. Her head was pounding from the mayhem that occurred, but she pushed it aside to deal with this.

"She still wants you to come help her get dressed," Phoebe answered, refocusing her glasses. "From that, I'm assuming she wants to continue with the dinner plans you two concocted earlier this morning during breakfast."

Rhonda chuckled. "She told you about that, I guess? She was always a bold woman. I admire and envy that about her."

"She did tell me, along with the reason why she is doing this," Phoebe said. "She finally admitted to me that she loves Mr. Shortman. I want to make sure she gets the chance to tell him. I'm just afraid that her father will find out they are meeting and then will lock her in her room for the rest of the trip."

Rhonda was about to reply when something caught her attention. "Did you hear something?"

Phoebe stood quietly for a moment and listened. "I don't hear anything," she whispered. "What did you hear?"

"It sounded like a raspy, humming sound," Rhonda answered. "There it is again!"

Phoebe looked at Rhonda and listened again. "It just sounds like the hum of the engines," Phoebe answered. "I've forgotten about the sound quite some time ago. I guess my ears adapted to the hum that I no longer hear it."

"It doesn't sound like the engines," Rhonda said cautiously. "But I could be wrong. My mind has so many things going on that it could be playing tricks on me. Now back the important matter. I saw Gerald a while ago and he told me that he was able to convince Arnold to tell his feelings to Helga. Apparently he was worried about hurting her or some ridiculous thing. However, Arnold has decided to tell Helga how he feels and I was about to meet with him and tell him my brilliant idea. As you know, I was going to get them to eat dinner together in one of the small restaurants so they can finally say it. So now, I'm going to go talk to him and tell him the plan while you tell Helga I will be there before dinner."

"I hope they do tell each other," Phoebe said. "It is ridiculous enough that they've kept it hidden for so long."

"And they'll have to keep it hidden for a few more days until we are off this ship," Rhonda pointed out. "Neither her father nor Lila can find out. Knowing Lila, she will find a way to destroy it. If we can at least keep it quiet until we arrive in New York. I'm certain Lila can't expect me to keep them apart if I can't see them every day. But for now, not a peep."

"Mumming," Phoebe replied. "Just out of curiosity, which restaurant will they be dining in?"

"Café Parisien."

**A/N: Café Parisien was an actual restaurant on Titanic. The fact it sounded so close to Chez Paris was too good to pass up.**


	22. An Evening to Remember

**A/N: Yes, I have another chapter up quickly and I have a good reason why. Today marks the 103****rd**** anniversary of Titanic's maiden voyage as she disembarked from England and started to head to New York (at least, in my time zone right now it is). As a special treat for the occasion, I will attempt to update every day for the next six days, so be on the lookout. I won't be able to finish this little remembrance with the striking of the iceberg, but it will be very close to it. If I update every day, then I'll be able to get there at the end of next week. I can't believe how close we're getting, and I still have no idea what is going to happen. But for now, the long awaited dinner scene.**

The noise in the hallway began to dwindle. The passengers were heading downstairs to dinner. That is, all but a few. When Helga couldn't hear any more chatter, she left her cabin, followed closely by Phoebe. Luckily, the Café Parisien was on the same deck as her suite, just in case someone were to see her. Helga wasn't worried about who would find her. She was worried what people would say if they saw what she's was wearing.

"I look ridiculous," Helga muttered as they walked through the corridors. "Why did I allow Rhonda to convince me to get all gussied up for this? I doubt he will even recognize me."

"You look incredible," Phoebe assured her employer. "And I'm certain Arnold will know it's you. The dress is just one of your fancier ones and she styled your hair differently that you would have, but you don't look ridiculous by any sense of the word."

"Thank you, Phoebe," Helga responded. "I guess I'm just nervous. I don't know how Arnold is going to react when I tell him."

Phoebe secretly smiled, already knowing what Arnold will say. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just go in and enjoy the dinner and Arnold's company. When the right moment comes, then you can tell him. But until then, I wouldn't worry about it."

"Are you sure, Gerald?" Arnold asked his valet as they waited outside of the Café Parisien. "I don't want to scare her."

"I'm absolutely certain," Gerald assured him. "As I've said earlier, wait for the right moment. Don't rush things. That will most definitely scare her." Gerald knew most likely that Arnold could have said it at any time and Helga would melt, but he wanted this to be special for his employer and friend.

"Thank you, Gerald," Arnold said while giving a small smile. "You have been most helpful throughout this entire situation. I will never forget all you have done to assist me in making this happen, and that includes befriending Helga."

"You're welcome," Gerald said, smiling wider. "Speaking of Helga…" Gerald motioned towards the staircase. Arnold turned his head and his eyes lit up. There she was, standing right in front of him. Arnold had never seen her so beautiful before. She looked like an angel in her pale pink dress. Her hair was kept up by a blue flowered comb that matched her eyes. In a word, she was breathtaking.

Slowly she and Phoebe walked over to Arnold and Gerald, but the two blondes were unaware of their servants' looks of pride as they saw that everything was beginning to come together. Arnold took Helga's gloved hand and kissed the top of it.

"You look amazing," Arnold told her. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Rhonda helped," Helga informed him as her cheeks became bright pink to match her dress. "She picked the dress and helped with the hair."

"Remind me to thank her," Arnold said, extending his elbow out. "Shall we?"

Helga placed her arm around his and they entered the café. Seeing that they were no longer needed, Phoebe and Gerald headed downstairs for their own dinner.

"She looked incredible," Gerald said. "You and Miss Lloyd did an impeccable job."

"Thank you, Gerald," Phoebe replied. "They both look amazing and you can see the admiration they have for one another in their eyes. I don't want to be premature, but I have a feeling that tonight will be the night they finally say it."

Gerald smiled at her and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I believe you are right."

* * *

The dining saloon was bustling with noise as everyone took notice of two blondes' absence. Everywhere Rhonda looked, she could see the passengers gossiping about what took place the night before. While most believed that Lila had a part in the act, there were others who believed Helga acted out on her own.

"Does anyone know where Arnold is?" one of the members of the table asked.

"Last I heard, he was locked in his room, refusing to come out," another person said. "He was so embarrassed by what Helga said last night that he couldn't bear to be around other people. It's such a shame someone as nice as him had to be berated by someone like Helga Pataki. That girl has no control whatsoever."

"Well, I heard Lila Sawyer put her up to it," the first person said. "Lila was so humiliated when Arnold wouldn't tell her he loved her as well that she got Helga to humiliate him."

"My goodness," the second person responded. "Did you hear that Bob Pataki forced Helga out of their cabin last night? She had no money with her so she couldn't afford a room. I heard that she ended up spending the night in third class."

"That's a load of poppycock!" Maggie exclaimed. Apparently Rhonda wasn't the only one who was listening in to the conversation. "I'll set the record straight. Helga spent the night in my room after Bob kicked her out. She stayed with me until Bob asked that she returned. There was no way she would have been in third class. Besides, they keep the doors locked heading to third class so they can't spread their diseases to us."

The other two gossipers closed their mouths after that. Maggie looked over to Rhonda and gave her a wink. Rhonda smiled back, grateful that someone was able to silence the rumors that spread through first class. As much as Rhonda wanted to tell people how incorrect they were about Helga and Arnold, she still had to maintain appearances in the presence of Lila that she too despises Helga.

Their table had a few new members this night, including Brainy. Brainy finally recovered from the first night and had joined a seat next to Lila. He still had a little bit of bruising from where Helga had punched him, but other than that, he looked back to normal. Rhonda couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of those two sitting next to each other. They were both so plain and had nothing interesting to say. Perhaps boring goes well with boring, because they appeared to be having a stimulating conversation among themselves.

Dinner continued on without any drama, which was a first on the grand ship. But without either blonde in sight, there was nothing to entertain the rest of the passengers for the rest of the night. The men rose as they made their way to the smoking room while the ladies either retired for the night or went out on the promenade to get some air. Rhonda decided to the latter. She wasn't prepared just yet to go back to her room and face Nadine and Curly for what happened earlier that day. She hoped that by getting some fresh air, she would be able to gain some strength for what she had to do.

As she stood outside with her arms crossed on the railing, she took in a deep breath of the salty air. It tickled her nose, but she didn't mind. It was a nice distraction from everything that has happened. A new distraction occurred when Rhonda could hear distant yelling. From the sounds, it was coming from a man. Curious, she followed the yells, wondering who would have been making such a ruckus. As the yells grew louder, she began to hear that humming sound again. Rhonda stopped dead in her tracks. It wasn't the engines. She was sure of it. Instantly, she switched paths to follow the hums. As they grew louder, Rhonda quickened her pace, only to be stopped once again when she realized what the hums actually were.

* * *

Patty waited outside the lavatory for Eugene to get dressed. The longer he took, the more certain Patty was in wanting to just leave him. She had contemplated leaving him behind when he suddenly came out wearing the steward uniform.

"Are you ready?" Eugene asked. Patty groaned internally.

"Let us get this over with already," she grumbled. She led him through the corridors. Since most people were at dinner, they ran into very few people along the way, and luckily- or unluckily, in Patty's case- none were part of the crew. Patty pulled her keys out when they reached one of the gates that blocked third class from entering first and second class. She unlocked the gate and the two entered into the forbidden territory.

"So this is how the upper class lives," Eugene said as he walked through the mahogany and intricate carpeted corridors. "I never thought I would see myself in a place like this."

"Just imagine," Patty replied, "if you didn't steal the money on the first night, you would have never gotten the opportunity."

"That is a good point," Eugene reflected. "Looking back, I do realize that was a mistake, but there isn't much we can do about it now, as long as you keep quiet. Did you tell them anything about me?"

"Only that I would keep an eye on you," Patty answered as they made their way to the first class cabins. "I'll try to make something up before I see them again."

"Excellent," Eugene remarked, smiling as he saw the rooms. They went door to door, Patty knocking and asking if they wanted a turn down service. If there was no reply, they would enter the room and locate the jewels that were not being currently worn by the passengers at dinner.

They had entered one of the parlor suites and started searching one of the bedrooms. They had found numerous jeweled necklaces and earrings and rings. In one of the drawers, Eugene made an interesting discovery.

"Patty, look at this," he said as he pulled the small but extravagant object from its location. "A diamond tiara. Put it on and let me see how it looks on you."

Patty took the small crown from Eugene and went to the large mirror in the room. She placed the tiara on the top of her head. It was beautiful compared to her plain self. She didn't have the grace or beauty to pull it off as someone who had been bred for this lifestyle. And Patty realized she didn't want it for herself. She was perfectly happy with her life (aside from having to help Eugene) and wanted nothing to do with that tiara. Then Eugene had to open his mouth.

"Even if you don't keep it, that tiara could help your parents," he smirked. "Just imagine how much medicine you can get with that." Patty frowned, for she knew he was right. The loot they could steal would be enough to make sure her parents were comfortable for the rest of their lives. She could feel the conflict inside her swell up as she tried to decide what to do.

"B, is that you?" Patty and Eugene heard someone slurring in the other room. Panicked that they might get caught, Patty shoved the tiara back into its drawer while Eugene put away all the other jewelry. Quietly, they snuck out of the room and started heading back to third class.

"Don't worry," Eugene said as Patty locked the gate behind them. "We can work on some other rooms tomorrow night. And I'll say it again: not a word to Romeo about this."

Patty let out a sigh as Eugene went back into the lavatory to change back into his regular clothes. "I can't wait," she mumbled to herself, then made her way back to the dining room to see Harold and his friends. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell them, but she did know that the truth was not an option.

* * *

The Café Parisian was a small restaurant that couldn't even fit a hundred people. It had white walls that were covered by many climbing plants in trellises, including ivy. The chairs and tables were wicker furniture that added to the atmosphere.

The two blondes were nervous in the beginning, unsure of what to say to one another. As time went on, and had several drinks of wine, they began to relax and enjoy each other's company. They laughed as they made their notorious sarcastic comments to one another.

"Do you remember the first time we met each other?" Arnold asked as they ate their dinner. Helga chuckled.

"How can I forget?" she asked. "My father brought us to the hotel to discuss business with your grandfather. I was reluctant to attend, because I thought it would be just another stuffy dinner party that talked about nothing but business."

"I'll admit I was not looking forward to that dinner, either," Arnold said. "I heard stories about your father and I was hesitant to meet him."

"It was raining that day," Helga recalled. "Of course Bob was too busy helping Mother and Olga inside that he forgot I needed help getting in. So naturally, I just walked outside in the pouring rain and everything was ruined. My hair, my dress. Father did sure scold me that day. But then I entered the lobby to the hotel and slipped on the floor."

"And before you landed on the ground, your knight in shining armor managed to rescue you from the pain you would have suffered," Arnold interjected dramatically.

"You think too highly of yourself, Football Head," Helga told him. "Of course then, I didn't know it was you. I just thought you were a bellhop or something like that."

"That would explain why you said if I ever touched you, I would get a kiss from Ol' Betsy," Arnold said. "Honestly, though, who names their fist?"

Helga shrugged. "I was only trying to intimidate you, then insult you by calling you Football Head. And if I recall, you answered in quite the Shakespearean way, 'Oh no, Miss! Not Ol' Betsy! I shall rather plunge myself into the depths of the Hudson than face the wrath of Ol' Betsy!'"

Arnold laughed at the memory. "That was hilarious," he agreed. "Almost as hilarious as the look on your face when you discovered who I really was. Your face was so red you looked like a cherry. You never apologized for what you said to me, but instead said the next time you were about to take a fall, just let you fall."

"I would have been fine if you had just let me hit the ground," Helga argued. "I can handle myself just fine. I don't need a man rushing to my aid for every tumble."

"I won't forget how you looked," Arnold said, ignoring what she said. "You were drenched from head to toe, but you still had this look of pride on your face. And when you looked at me after I caught you, you had this soft look in your eyes. It was the look of someone who has been alone for her entire life and then realized she was no longer invisible. In that moment, I saw how beautiful you actually were, despite looking like a mess. When I saw your true beauty shine, that's when I knew."

"Knew what exactly?" Helga inquired.

Before Arnold could respond, the band struck up a familiar tune and the two blondes perked their ears towards the melody that occupied the room. Arnold smirked at Helga. "Do you remember this song?"

"How could I forget?" Helga replied. "I remember it well, although I must say I am surprised that you remember it."

"Do you really think I could forget the song to which we first danced?" Arnold scoffed. "I am offended that you would think that."

"Well, excuse me, but I didn't think you were the sentimental type," Helga retorted. "Besides, it happened so long ago and it was a dance. I would have thought you would have forgotten. I'm sure anyone else would have."

"When are you going to realize that I am not like anyone else?" Arnold asked, eyeing her.

_From the moment I met you, _she thought. "I've always known that, Football Head," Helga laughed. "I've known because you're one of the few people who actually tolerate me."

Arnold rolled his eyes. He could hear a new song being played. He stood up and went to the band. Helga watched curiously as the band stopped for a moment. They resumed playing the previous song. Arnold walked back to the table and extended his hand to Helga."

"Will you tango with me?" he asked.

Helga smiled. It has been so long since they have tangoed together, and she was more than excited to take this trip down memory lane. Not that she would admit it out loud, of course. "I guess I can indulge you in one dance," she replied.

She placed her hand in his and stood up. They began to dance across the restaurant, not caring who was watching them. The passengers around them could feel the sexual tension between the pair.

"You have gotten better," Helga remarked as she spun into him. "At least so far you haven't stepped on my foot."

"I apologized for that!" Arnold exclaimed. "And if I recall correctly, you continued to dance with me that night without complaint.

"Touché, Football Head," Helga laughed. "But in all honesty, you are an incredible dance partner." Arnold smiled at her. It was a rare occasion for Helga to give a sincere compliment to someone, let alone him. He would have said something, but he didn't want all of this ruined by Helga making a snarky remark. Helga knew she would have said something to kill the mood, so she was grateful that he said nothing.

The music soon transformed into a waltz. Arnold and Helga decided to continue dancing instead of sit down. As they danced in each other's arms, sapphires met with emeralds. The music slowly began to fade, along with the rest of the world. All the two blondes could see were each other. Subconsciously, they moved closer together.

"Helga?" Arnold spoke, barely audible as he led her around the dance floor.

"Yes, Arnold?" Helga replied in the same manner.

"There's something that I want to tell you," he said. "Actually, it's been something I've wanted to tell you for years. I've just never had the courage to tell you." Helga looked at him, her stomach fluttering. Was this happening?

"What is it?" she asked, quietly praying that her dreams were about to come true.

Arnold took several deep breaths. _This was it, _he thought. _There's no turning back after this. _"Helga Pataki, I lo-"

"What the hell?" a voice boomed, breaking the blondes' trance. The music stopped along with the idle chatter that once filled the room. Helga paled when she saw her father stomping towards her. Instantly, Bob ripped Helga away from Arnold.

"You insolent girl! I warned you not to go anywhere near him! And then you disobey me!" Helga's face whipped to the side as Bob's hand smacked her across her cheek, causing Arnold to flinch. He never knew Bob to be violent. With a firm grasp on Helga's wrist, Bob whisked her away and out of the restaurant. "You can forget ever seeing him or anyone again form the rest of this trip!"

Arnold stood there like a statue as Helga looked back at him with yearning eyes. He was in disbelief of what he had just witnessed. He would have gone after them, but he didn't have a plan on how to take on Big Bob. He took a step forward only to hear a crumbling sound beneath them. Arnold looked down and turned his foot to the side it. Beneath the sole of his shoe was a piece of paper. He dropped down to pick it up. When it was in his grasp, he unfolded it and read its contents. As he read, he fell into his chair. He looked up to the entrance of the restaurant where Helga had vanished and shed a single tear.

**A/N: I know, I know, I am one cruel, sadistic writer. This was supposed to be the moment where they finally say that they love each other. And yet, I enjoy these close calls way too much. Sorry I'm not sorry? But anyways I do have some thoughts in mind of what I'm going to do with them. What exactly? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. Next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow.**


	23. The Aftermath

**A/N: Well, it seems I managed to frustrate everyone. That is, everyone who reviewed. I'm not sure if everyone else feels that way, but I have a good feeling that I did, so I'm going to safely assume you all on some level hate me. I originally planned on having them confess at dinner and spend a beautiful night together. However, I now have other plans for our favorite blondes. And ekida and PresleyRox, thank you both for your kind words. They really touched my heart and made me laugh, especially since it's true that I'm sadistic and evil. And I loved Tim Curry in "Clue." It's one of my favorite movies of all time. All right, enough chitchat.**

"Let go of me!" Helga screamed as Bob dragged her through the hallway. She tried wriggling her way out of his grip, but he held on too tight for her to escape. As Helga kicked and screamed as Bob pulled her along, crowds of people stood and watched the spectacle. No one uttered a word. No one dared. With someone as brutish as Big Bob Pataki, it was best to keep quite the distance, especially when it came to discipline.

Bob shoved her through the door of the parlor suite and slammed the door shut. "You wretched bitch!" he cried. "I warned you! And then you had the gall to disobey me! No one disobeys Bob Pataki!"

He raised his arm and began slapping her in the face. Helga cried out, but it was hopeless. She knew that no one would come to her aid. Nor did she blame them for hiding. Helga didn't know what she would have done if she were someone else, but she would have preferred to be someone else at that moment.

When Bob was finished, Helga was lying on the floor, her face red from the marks and scratches under her eye. She looked at the floor as she panted for air. Her father leaned over her battered body.

"You will stay in here for the rest of the trip," Bob seethed. "If you dare disobey me again, you will never see the light of day again! In fact, I'll ship you to a convent, and I don't give a damn that we're not Catholic! And I will also make sure your maid never works again!" Bob stormed out and into his room. With whatever strength she had left, Helga pulled herself off the floor and into her cabin. She managed to pull her hair out of the comb and let it cascade down her back. Somehow Helga was able to pull her dress off. Disgusted by it now, she hurled it across the room with a yelp.

Helga collapsed on her bed, tears flowing freely from her eyes. Her perfect evening was now in shambles. She couldn't forget the way Arnold looked as Bob took her away. It was the same look he had the night before when she yelled at him in front of everyone in the dining room. Again she embarrassed him, and she hated herself for doing so.

A soft knock came from the door. Helga was barely able to let out a groan. The door opened and Phoebe entered the room after coming back from dinner.

"Helga?" Phoebe asked as she saw the sight in the room. A pale pink dress was in the corner of the room and her employer was on the bed, half-dressed. "Is everything all right? What happened? Did you tell Arnold how you felt about him?"

Slowly, Helga turned her tear stained face towards her maid. "Father found out before I could," Helga softly spoke. "He came in and took me away. I could have sworn Arnold was about to say something important but Father got there before I could find out what he wanted to tell me."

"Oh, dear," Phoebe said. She walked over the bed and stood beside her friend and employer. "I'm so sorry, Helga. This is just horrible, but you can't let this hold you back. We will find another way to get you and Arnold to meet up and then you can finally tell him."

"It's no use," Helga barely mumbled. "Father said if he finds me out of the room at any time, he will ship me to a convent and have you sacked. Some things are not worth risking, and you are one of them. I can't be without you, Phoebe."

Phoebe nodded, understanding the seriousness of the consequences if they tried again. "Can you stand up? I want to get you into your nightgown." Helga shuffled out of bed as Phoebe unlaced the corset and changed Helga into her nightgown. Helga sat on her bed as Phoebe brushed her hair. "If you don't mind my asking, but how did he find out about you and Arnold?"

Phoebe brought up an excellent question that Helga never even thought of asking. Exactly how did Big Bob know that she and Arnold were meeting? And how did he know they were in the Café Parisien?

"I have no idea," Helga admitted. "I never thought about it until you mentioned it. It does peculiar that he would know where I was. No one knew except you, me, Arnold, Rhonda, and Gerald, and I know that none of you would have said anything."

"And we were careful when we talked about it," Phoebe assured her. "We made sure no one was around when we discussed the plan." Phoebe finished brushing her hair and pulled the covers out. Helga slid between the sheets as Phoebe covered her. "You try to get some rest. We will figure this out in the morning."

"Thank you, Phoebe," Helga said softly. Phoebe turned the lights off and left the room. As Helga shut her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder one thing: how could some like Bob Pataki, who couldn't even remember her name, find out where she was? He couldn't possibly have known, not without some help, that is. Someone must have told him. Just exactly who haunted her thoughts until she somehow managed to fall asleep.

* * *

"Brainy?" Rhonda looked at him confused. The humming turned out to be his signature wheeze, but now sounded a bit different after getting hit by Helga in the face. Rhonda didn't notice it at dinner since it was so loud and he was sitting away from her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Uh, nothing," Brainy wheezed. Rhonda eyed his suspiciously.

"Where did you come from?" Rhonda asked, hoping to get something out of him. She figured out that he was around earlier when she was talking to Phoebe, and she wanted to know why.

"Uh, smoking room," Brainy gasped out. The yelling sounded like it was coming from that area, and Rhonda knew there was someone else who was there as well. Someone who has been known to be loud.

"Was Bob Pataki the one who was yelling?" Rhonda asked him. Brainy nodded as he adjusted his glasses. "Why was he yelling?"

"Uh… Helga," he responded. Rhonda's eyes widened. Bob found out. There could be no other explanation why he would explode like that.

"How did he find out?" Rhonda panicked. "Who told him?"

Slowly, Brainy raised his hand. His smile grew widely along with Rhonda's rage. She should have known since he was nearby. She didn't think that she and Phoebe were speaking so loud, but she was proven wrong.

"Why would you tell him?" Rhonda screeched, her temper flaring at that point. For once Brainy didn't answer back. She groaned in frustration. What could possibly motivate him to tell Bob? Brainy wasn't known as a vengeful person, but he did know someone who was, and he was talking to that person during dinner.

"Lila," Rhonda whispered and looked to Brainy. "Lila told you to do it, didn't she?" Again, Brainy didn't answer, but gave Rhonda the answer anyways. "Brainy, your future working with my father depends on you answering me. If you don't answer or lie to me, I will send my father a wireless demanding your termination from the business. Now, tell me everything you know."

Brainy confessed all he knew, rather slowly as he quickly ran out of breath, to Rhonda. The more she heard, the more enraged she became. She finally had enough. When Brainy finished, Rhonda stormed through the corridors and down a flight of steps. Groups of people parted ways as she rushed through, surprised to see someone like Rhonda Wellington Lloyd behaving in such a fashion. However, Rhonda didn't care what everyone thought. She only had one thing in mind as she barged through Lila's door.

"You told Brainy he could have Helga if he spied on me?"

Lila didn't even flinch a muscle when Rhonda entered. She continued to look into her vanity mirror and brush her hair out.

"You're ever so lucky that I wasn't indecent," she replied as the brush glided down her auburn hair.

"Answer my question, Lila!" Rhonda yelled. Lila placed her brush on the vanity and turned to look at Rhonda.

"It appears someone has spent way too much time with that creature," Lila replied. "You're starting to sound like it. Then again, it isn't oh so surprising since you've been helping it sneak off with Arnold. And here I thought you wanted no one to know about your little affair with the driver. Or the steward."

"You've taken this too far," Rhonda told her, now also fuming that Brainy also mentioned about her affair with Curly. "Now Helga will stuck in her room for the rest of the night because of what you said!"

"That thing had it coming," Lila scoffed, flipping her hair back. "It should have stayed away from Arnold like Mr. Pataki asked. I was only making sure he knew what his pathetic excuse for a daughter was doing behind his back."

"That's another thing," Rhonda began. "Stop calling Helga 'it' or 'thing.' She is a person just like you and me. You are no better than she is, milkmaid!"

Lila gasped at Rhonda's insult. Her pristine face morphed into a beast as she snarled at Rhonda. "At least I'm not a whore like you," Lila retorted. "One known affair is scandalous enough, but two? And both with people below your status? You're finished. No one will ever want anything to do with you again. The name Rhonda Wellington Lloyd will forever be blacklisted. Come tomorrow morning, you will be shunned just as much as that thing. But maybe you'll end up lucky and wind up in an asylum for your… condition. So I suggest you enjoy this final night, as a gift for you helping me out as much as you did. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Rhonda glared at her for a moment before leaving the room. She exhaled a deep breath before trudging her way back to her room. When she entered, she was greeted with the faces of Nadine and Curly staring back at her. Rhonda groaned internally. She completely forgot that she was meeting with them. She didn't have the energy to deal with them, but she at least had to tell them what was going to happen.

"Miss Lloyd, I just wanted to apologize for what I-" Rhonda held her hand up, silencing her maid from speaking. Nadine closed her mouth and sat back down. Rhonda sat next to them and let out a heavy sigh.

"There's something I need to say," Rhonda said. "Lila now knows about my involvement with helping some friends that she dislikes. As a consequence, she will be telling my secret tomorrow morning to everyone. I will be ruined. Nadine, I don't know what your future holds, but most likely you will end up losing your job. I apologize for you being stuck in such a horrid position, but I want to also to thank you for your discretion. You could have told people about what I did, especially after the way I treated you, but you didn't. I thank you for that, and I apologize for the way I treated you during the time you worked for me. Now, if you don't mind, I want to talk to Curly alone right now."

Nadine nodded and left the room, surprised by what Rhonda had just said. When she left, Rhonda turned her attention to Curly.

"What is it?" Curly asked.

Rhonda knew it was going to be difficult, but she never thought it would be at this level of excruciating exertion. "Lila also found out about our rendezvous," Rhonda explained. "She will also be telling everyone about it tomorrow morning." Rhonda got up and went to her vanity and pulled out a small purse. "You kept your discretion and I appreciate it. I apologize for putting you into this position. I'm guessing you will be losing your position on the ship, so I want to give this to you. It's the money that I owe you for our time together."

Rhonda pushed the purse of money towards Curly. He looked inside to see all of the money she promised him there. Yesterday, he would have been thrilled to have it, but the memories of what Nadine called him before plagued his mind.

"While I appreciate the effort, I cannot accept this." Curly pushed the purse back to her. "There has to be something that can be done to stop her from saying anything."

Rhonda shook her head. "There isn't anything that can be done," she said. "I only regret that you will also have to suffer because of this. Please take the money. It's the least I can do since you'll need the money until you can find another position."

Curly shook his head. "I won't accept it. Besides, you might need it if your parents disown you. It can help you get on your feet."

"How about this?" Rhonda suggested. "We don't do anything with the money until we know for certain what is to happen." Curly nodded in agreement and they shook hands. "It's been a pleasure knowing you Curly Gammelthorpe. And I shall never forget what you have given me."

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Curly asked. "Since I'll most likely be sacked it doesn't matter much now."

"I appreciate it, but no thank you," Rhonda said. "I just want to be alone tonight. I might as well start getting used to the idea." Curly stood up and kissed her softly. He bid her farewell and left the room. As he went out, he saw Nadine was still outside, waiting.

"Well, it appears that both of us will be out of a job," Curly informed her. "Miss Sawyer also knew about me and will be announcing it tomorrow, along with the other secret."

"So I'm guessing you lost out on the money?" Nadine asked crudely.

"On the contrary," Curly replied. "She gave me the money in full, but I couldn't take it. You were right. I wouldn't have been any better than a prostitute had I taken the money. There just has to be something we can do to prevent this. I don't like seeing her so defeated."

Nadine's face softened. "You really care about her, don't you?" Curly nodded. A loud noise echoed in the hallway. The two looked to see some passengers walking by, one of which was Maggie Brown. Nadine looked at Curly. "Maybe there still is. Just let me do the talking."

As the group of women walked passed, Nadine spoke loudly. "It is true. Miss Lloyd confirmed it tonight. Miss Sawyer is in fact from a dairy farm in Pennsylvania!" The group of women stopped in their tracks and stared at the young maid. Maggie broke from the pack and looked at Nadine.

"What did you just say?" Nadine gave a quick wink to Curly, who smiled back at her. Nadine turned her attention back to Maggie and began to finally get involved in aiding her employer.

* * *

Arnold must have contemplated this issue for hours as he paced outside the door to the Pataki suite. He walked around so much that the new carpet was probably already worn out. With several deep breaths, he gathered the courage to open the door. His heart sank when he saw Bob answer the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Bob snarled. Arnold gulped. He never saw Bob so infuriated before. A part of him wanted to run, but a stronger part was too frightened to leave.

"I-I-I just wanted to t-talk to you about Helga," Arnold stuttered.

Bob huffed. "What about the girl? Did she leave her room again? I swear I'm going to send her to that convent. She is nothing but trouble."

"There's no need for that," Arnold said. "Actually, I just wanted to apologize for meeting with her in secret. But the truth is I care about your daughter, Mr. Pataki."

"Just stop right there," Bob scolded. "I don't want to hear anymore. From the moment you two met, there has been nothing but trouble, which just happened to get worse by being on this ship. I'm only going to say this once. You stay away from her. She is one giant problem that cannot be solved. If I find out that you see her again, you can be damn sure that I will drop you as a client. Our contract will be broken and I will remove all the telephones we connected in the other hotels. Do I make myself clear?"

Arnold gulped and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I swear I shouldn't have to find this out from other people. Talk about humiliating that I apparently can't control my own daughter. Now get the hell away from my door before I have you arrested."

Arnold rushed away and went to his room. He hated that he couldn't see Helga anymore. But there had to be a way. And what did Bob mean by someone telling him? Did someone find out about him and Helga? Who could it be? He pondered this as he changed into his pajamas since Gerald was still gone. As he settled into bed, he pulled out the piece of paper and read it over and over until he fell asleep.

"Arnold?" Gerald called into the room. When Gerald finished dinner and was enjoying a leisurely stroll along the deck, the news of Bob barging into the café had spread throughout the ship. Once Gerald heard about it, he headed back to the rooms to be there for Arnold. When he finally arrived, he saw that Arnold was already asleep. He sighed, not wanting to wake his friend. He already had a tiring day and didn't need to be woken up.

Gerald was about to turn the lights off when something caught his eye. He walked to the bed and saw the paper on Arnold's stomach. Carefully, he pulled the paper off and read it. Instantly he recognized Helga's handwriting.

_I yearn to see him once more  
__To feel his arms around me  
__To hear his comforting voice  
__Whispering in my ear  
__His warm embrace  
__Soft but firm  
__Protecting me and letting me go  
__His soft lips  
__Pressed against mine  
__His bright smile lighting up my life  
__His emerald eyes  
__Fixated only on me  
__The rest of the world a blur  
__His clever mind has only __me on it  
__His giving heart pounding  
__Faster and faster as the seconds go by  
__I run my fingers through his silky  
__Cornflower hair  
__And we know in that moment  
__That we are meant for one another_

"Well I'll be damned," Gerald whispered. "She finally admitted it in her own way." He placed the paper back where he found it and left the room. He walked down the corridor to Phoebe's door.

"Do you know what happened?" Phoebe asked.

"Somewhat," Gerald said. "Can I come in? We need to figure out what to do."

Phoebe smiled. "You read my mind."

**A/N: Officially twenty-four hours until the iceberg. Dun, dun, dun! The poem was an old one of mine that I decided to recycle. On a side note, I started thinking of who is going to survive and who won't. So I'm curious to know who you all think are going to make it. With there being only one more day, I think it's a good time to figure out who will live. I already have two in mind, and of course I'm not going to say. You'll have to wait until the time comes.**


	24. Early Sunday Morning

**A/N: Happy Sunday! Ironic that we start the Sunday chapters on a Sunday. So here we go. The last day. I still can't believe how close we are until the real tragedy begins. Keep sending in your predictions. As far as keeping both Arnold and Helga alive, I cannot say anything about their fates, or it will just spoil the whole story, and I don't want that.**

Sunday, April 14, 1912, North Atlantic Ocean

A soft knock woke Arnold from his slumber. How he managed to sleep at all amazed him after what happened last night. Rubbing his eyes, he pulled the covers off and shuffled his way to the door, putting on his robe along the way and turning on a lamp to guide his way. As he opened the door wider, his eyes opened just as much when he noticed who was on the other side.

"Helga?" Arnold asked, now fully awake. At first, it was with joy to see her, then panic when he remembered that he was not allowed to see her again on the ship. "What are you doing here? We're both going to be in big trouble if your father finds you here."

"I tried to stay away, but I couldn't," Helga replied as she slid through the doorway, wearing her robe. Arnold looked down both ways of the corridor to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, the hallway was devoid of life. It must have been in the early morning if no one was out. He closed the door behind him and focused on Helga.

"As flattered as I am that you came, you have to go back to your cabin," Arnold instructed. "I don't want Bob to send you to a convent. I would like to think we would have a chance to see each other after Titanic."

Helga chuckled. "He told you about the convent, too? His threats are harmless. He'll forget all about it by the time we reach New York. Plus, he's asleep right now, and I had to see you. We didn't get to finish our time together last night."

Arnold gulped as the blood rushed to his face. "What do you mean exactly?"

Helga walked closer to him. It was as close as they were when they danced. "I believe you were trying to tell me something, and I want to know what it was. It's been on my mind all night. I couldn't sleep. Then I decided to sneak her and ask you what it was. Now the question is, will you tell me now? I think I shall go mad if you don't."

Arnold's stomach was in knots. He wasn't prepared to tell her at that moment. This wasn't how he imagined it to be. He didn't want to say it while they were in there robes. It was not proper. But here Helga was, practically begging him to tell her. Arnold knew that if he didn't, he would have to suffer her wrath, and he didn't want to end up like Brainy. Taking a deep breath, he took Helga's hands into his and looked directly into her eyes.

"I love you, Helga," he spoke. Finally the words were able to escape his lips and travel to Helga's ears. He was worried how she would respond. Would she freak out? Would she punch him? Or worse, would she be indifferent? Instead, Helga smiled.

"I love you too," she whispered. Arnold smiled back in elation. She felt the same way! Unable to control himself, his hands crawled up to her face and he pulled her in closer. Soon his lips were moving against hers in a loving way. She followed his movements and moved closer, placing her hands around his arms. Helga pulled back softly and gazed at Arnold.

"What is it?" he asked as Helga stepped back until he was able to see all of her. Did he go too far and scared her?

Instead, Helga smiled wryly as she tugged on her robe's rope. "Why don't you and I celebrate our love more properly?" Arnold looked at her confused, but intrigued. When she finished untying the robe, the terrycloth dropped to the ground, revealing Helga in her true form. Arnold stood there in both shock and amazement. There she was, right in front of him and wearing nothing. It was her most beautiful version, along with most stimulating. Forgetting everything he learned, Arnold also quickly disrobed and pulled his pajamas off, revealing just how excited he was. He walked closer to Helga and gave her a small peck before lifting her off the floor and into the bed.

Impatiently he kissed her again, but this time more passionate. Helga moaned softly as his lips glided against hers and his hands explored her body. Excited by the touch, she thrusted her hips against his, feeling his engorged member pressed against her womanhood. Surprised by the feeling, Arnold pulled away and looked at her, panting for air.

"You're certain?" he asked. She nodded and pressed against him once again. Getting the hint, he placed himself inside her, being gentle so he wouldn't hurt her. He began slowly, then continued to get rougher as she moaned louder.

"Oh Arnold!" she exclaimed. "Arnold. Arnold…"

"Arnold! Wake up!"

Arnold opened his eyes to see Gerald in front of him. He looked around and saw no sight of the blonde. He sighed disappointedly. It was nothing but a dream. The excitement that filled his pajama bottoms were starting to diminish.

"What is it, Gerald?" the frustrated blonde asked.

"It's almost time for breakfast," Gerald informed him. "Additionally, I wanted to see how you were feeling after last night. I know Bob Pataki came in and made a scene, but I was wondering if you were able to tell Helga you loved her."

Arnold shook his head, again in disappointment. He didn't get to tell her, at least, not the real her. But that was the only one that counted.

"He came in right as I was about to say it," Arnold said glumly. Gerald shook his head in frustration.

"That always seems to be the way, doesn't it?" Arnold nodded. "Poor Helga. Now she has to be stuck in her suite for the rest of the trip. Maybe we can find a way to sneak you in?"

Arnold sighed. "There isn't a point, Gerald. I went to talk to Bob last night and reason with him, and he forbade me to talk to her. If I did, he would end our business together and send Helga to a convent. He believes that I'm a bad influence on her."

"Mmm, mmm, mmm," Gerald muttered. "That's insane. He'd rather his daughter end up being an old maid than be with someone like you. It isn't fair to her to have to suffer like that."

"Indeed it isn't, Gerald, but what can we do?" Arnold wondered aloud. "And there was something else he mentioned when I was there. He said that someone told him that we were meeting."

"Do you have an idea of who it could be?" Gerald asked.

"I have no idea," Arnold admitted. "But someone has to know. And I'm going to find out who it is." Arnold got out of bed, no longer needing to worry about any stimulation in his manhood exposing itself. "And to start, I'll need help from the one other person who's involved: Rhonda Wellington Lloyd."

* * *

When Helga woke up the morning, she could feel the trail from the tears that once fell from her face stuck on her skin. Her puffy eyes were barely able to open as she gazed through the dark room. She groaned softly as she remembered what happened the previous night as the pain from Bob's slaps surfaced across her skin.

It was going perfectly. Arnold was holding her so close to him that she swore she could hear his heartbeat. His skin smelled delicious. It wasn't a strong odor, but it was foreign to her. Something she had never smelled before. His infectious smile looking at her. He looked genuinely happy to be with her. She just only wished she knew what he was going to say before she was taken away.

Helga sighed in disappointment. Everything was taken away from when Bob stormed his way into the Café Parisien. She could have sworn she heard Arnold's voice last night, but she was probably dreaming. She knew he wouldn't try to help her out. Not when he would have to go against her father, the tyrant. As saddened as she was that Arnold would probably stay away, she knew it was for the best. She couldn't bear the thought of her father hurting Arnold, so keeping his distance was the best way to guarantee a safe life.

A soft knock rattled on the door. Helga knew it must have been Phoebe, up and ready to get Helga dressed. Helga pulled the covers off and got out of bed. "Come in," she replied.

"Good morning, baby sister!" a perky voice filled the room. Helga stopped dead in her place and looked over at the door. _It couldn't be…_

"Olga?" Helga asked in disbelief. What was she doing in Helga's room? Olga has barely even spoken to Helga the entire trip. Her focus has been mainly on whatever it was Olga thought about. Since the two sisters barely talked, Helga had no idea what Olga even did. "What are you doing in here? Where's Phoebe?"

Olga giggled. "I told her to go get some breakfast," Olga replied. "She'll be back in time to get you dressed for church service."

Helga was confused at first, but then she remembered that it was Sunday. The captain was going to perform a service later that morning. But the confusion never left her face. "Why would I need to get dressed for church if I'm not allowed out of the room? I'm sure you've heard what our father did to me last night. He said I'm not allowed outside of this suite until we made our destination in New York."

"Dear Papa did tell me about your insubordinate behavior last night," Olga said. "And as Papa was telling me about everything you have done since we have been on the Titanic, I have realized that I have not been there for my baby sister. Your behavior is just a cry for help, and here I am to listen to you. So, I talked to Papa and convinced him that instead of keeping you locked inside the suite for days, you and I will spend the rest of the trip together. Doesn't that sound marvelous?"

Helga's face distorted as Olga talked. "Are you being serious right now? Spend the next few days together? What exactly are we going to be doing? And why do keep calling our father 'papa?' We're American, not French! Criminy!"

Olga laughed. "I forgot how funny you can be. I know we're American, baby sister. And yes, I'm being serious about spending time together. Of course we'll go to church together later this morning. We can walk the promenade or maybe go to the Turkish Baths. They are just incredible. We could swim in the pool. And we can talk all day and get to know each other!"

Helga sat down as she absorbed everything Olga just said. Was she dreaming all of this? Was it all one giant cosmic joke that was being played on her? She couldn't bear the thought of spending her time with Olga. She was about to protest the entire thing when her stomach rumbled. She was starting to get hungry for breakfast. Helga slowly grinned. Olga may be annoying, but she was Helga's one ticket to getting out of the room and away from her father. Plus, there was a good chance she could see Arnold.

"I would love to spend time with you," Helga gritted through her teeth but kept a smile on her face. Luckily, Olga could not detect the pain that was in Helga's voice as she said that particular sentence, for she clapped her hands in glee. "And I'm getting hungry right now, so I better get dressed so we can go down for breakfast."

Olga laughed again. "Oh, baby sister, we aren't going to the dining room for breakfast!"

"Then one of the restaurants, perhaps?" Helga asked, hopeful that Olga wanted to try somewhere else. Besides, Helga didn't really want to go into the large dining room where everyone will be gossiping about what occurred. But Olga shook her head no. "Then where are we going to eat?"

"Right here, baby sister!" Olga exclaimed. "Papa is allowing us to order room service. I thought it would be fun if we could eat on our private promenade and watch the ocean. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Helga's face fell. She was disappointed that she wouldn't get to see Arnold for breakfast, but there were plenty more opportunities. "Tons of fun," Helga strained just as another idea popped into her head. "Do you think Rhonda can join us today?"

Olga thought for a moment. "Let us see how today goes first. If all goes well, then I'll consider her joining us. And we can see if Lila wants to join as well! Now hurry up and get decent. I ordered the food before I came here and it should be here soon. Oh, we're going to have a swell time baby sister!"

Olga left before Helga could protest about the possibility of Lila joining them. Helga lied back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "Oh, my love, if you only knew what hellish tortures I must endure just to see you, but you're worth it. I shall see you again, even if my life depends on it. I swear to you, we shall see each other once again."

* * *

Harold sat at the table in the dining room, glumly eating his oatmeal. He had several offers to have an eating competition, but he just didn't have the heart. Patty was supposed to meet with him the night before to discuss her findings about Eugene, but she never showed up. Harold was waiting for hours after until he gave up and went to bed. By then, Sid and Stinky were already asleep, but Eugene had yet to return to the room. Harold figured he either got in late or he was not sleeping in the room anymore. He guessed it was most like the latter since when Harold woke up that morning, Eugene's bed was once again empty. Harold didn't bother waiting for the other two to wake up as he went for breakfast. He wanted the alone time and wondered what happened to Patty. Was she all right? Did something happen? Did she just not want to be a part of it any longer?

"Good morning, Harold," a voice said, distracting him from his thoughts. He looked away from his bowl of oatmeal and saw Patty sitting in front of him. He sighed in relief to see she was at least alive. However, it still didn't answer the question as to why Patty never showed up to see him.

"Good morning, Patty," Harold replied, now able to enjoy his breakfast a little more. "I trust that everything is okay with you?"

"Everything is well," Patty replied. "I apologize for not being there last night. I wanted to see you, but I wasn't feeling well and needed to rest. I should have come find you to tell you but my mind was not thinking properly. I hope you weren't too worried."

Patty felt a bit guilty lying to Harold about why she didn't show up. The truth was she was headed that way to meet him, but she couldn't figure out what to say to him. So instead, she hurried back to her cabin and waited until she could find out what to say. It finally came to her this morning and she went to find Harold. It didn't take her long since she figured he would be eating. Whenever she was in doubt, she knew to always try where there was food first.

"Not too much," Harold replied, trying to sound masculine about it. He didn't want Patty to know how upset he was, especially since she was only under the weather. "I hope you are feeling better now?"

"Much," Patty answered, smiling. "I was able to follow Eugene last night."

Harold perked up by the news. Finally some answers. "What happened? Tell me everything and don't leave one thing out. I'll make sure to tell Sid and Stinky what you tell me, but I cannot wait any longer."

Patty laughed at his impatience. "Calm down. I'm going to tell you. Don't fret about that. I followed Eugene where he was going, making sure to keep my distance so he wouldn't suspect anything. I saw him enter the crew passage, which was odd since passengers are not allowed in that area. Anyways, I saw him enter one of the men's quarters. I was not allowed in but I tried to listen in. I heard multiple voices, but Eugene's was the only one I knew for certain. Sadly, they were speaking in hushed tones so I couldn't hear everything that was being said. I ran into an adjoining corridor as the door opened and saw Eugene come out. He had his jacket tucked back and I could see something shimmering on him."

"Do you know what it was?" Harold asked.

"If I had to guess by where it was located, I'd say it's a gun," Patty said.

Harold sighed heavily. He wasn't aware that Eugene carried a gun. In fact, he was surprised that someone as clumsy as Eugene would even own one. It was surprising that it never went off before considering how many times he has fallen.

"Do you have any idea of why he would have a gun or meet with some of the crew?" Harold wondered.

"I don't know, but I don't feel comfortable knowing he has one," Patty warned. "I would now consider him dangerous. So if he did take your money, I suggest you forget about it now. Who knows how much destruction he can do, and no amount of money is worth it."

Harold nodded as she spoke. He wouldn't want to go against someone who was armed and could kill him easily. "I guess I better go tell Sid and Stinky," Harold said. "They need to know this. Thank you for helping us. We would have never figured this out without your help."

"It was my pleasure," Patty replied. "Before you leave, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything," Harold said. "What is it?"

"Do you think I would look good in a diamond tiara?" Patty asked. Harold looked at her strangely. "I was just curious."

"To be honest, I think it would look gaudy on you," Harold said. Patty's face fell. "Let me finish. You are beautiful as it is that a tiara would just distract people from your natural beauty. You don't need one to look like royalty, because to me, you already look like a princess."

Patty blushed. She never had anyone say something like that to her. "Thank you, Harold. It means a lot to me that you think that way."

"And I always will."

* * *

Rhonda didn't want to get up. She didn't want to get dressed and she certainly didn't want to have breakfast in the dining room. And yet, there she was, sitting across a small table from Arnold. He came by earlier and convinced her to join him for breakfast. She didn't want to, but the curious side of her wanted to know what happened exactly during dinner. Not to mention she had to tell Arnold who was behind telling Bob.

"I should have known," Arnold spat as Rhonda told him the culprits. He had told his version first, then Rhonda filled in the rest of the blanks and gave him the surprise ending. "At least Lila. I was not expecting Brainy, though. Why would he go along with it?"

"Lila promised him that he could have Helga," Rhonda answered. It made Arnold sick to even think about in what way that was meant, nor did he want to know.

"How can one person cause such destruction?" Arnold asked, baffled by all of this.

"There's more," Rhonda said. "Because Lila now knows I betrayed her, she is going to tell my secrets to everyone this morning. By church service, everyone will shun me."

"Not everyone," Arnold assured her. "I'll always be here. I cannot begin to thank you for all the help you have given me and Helga. The least I can do is make sure you don't live in the streets. If the worst comes, I can put you in a room at one of the boarding houses I own. And you won't have to worry about paying me until you can find somewhere to work."

Rhonda looked at him. Even though the thought of living in a boarding house repulsed her, it would at least be somewhere she could live. "You would really do that for me?"

"Of course," Arnold replied. "Aren't friends supposed to help each other out?"

"I suppose they are," Rhonda smirked. "And I'm going to continue to help you by figuring out how to get you to see Helga again."

"I told you what Bob will do if he catches us together again," Arnold warned.

"I know, but I have faith that you two will end up together."

"There she is!" a voice called from somewhere in the dining room. Rhonda and Arnold looked to see that just about everyone was staring at them. Rhonda gulped. They knew. She could tell that they found out. One of the passengers walked up to them, causing Rhonda's stomach to churn.

"Is it true what they're saying?" the passenger asked. Rhonda looked down, embarrassed that she was now the subject of humiliation. She couldn't run from it anymore.

"It is," Rhonda confirmed softy. The passenger looked to the others and nodded the confirmation.

"From her lips, she's admitted it!" The crowd roared, making Rhonda's face turn red. "How did you hide it? No one suspected!"

"It wasn't easy," Rhonda replied. "I really thought I could get away with it too."

"Well, it's not your fault for her peculiar behavior. She practically announced it herself by the way she acted around everyone."

Rhonda and Arnold looked at each other confused. Arnold then looked to the passenger. "I'm sorry, but to what exactly are you referring?"

"You didn't hear? Apparently Rhonda's friend Lila is not who she claims to be. In fact, she's from a dairy farm in Pennsylvania! Can you believe that?"

Arnold looked back at Rhonda, who was just as shocked as he was. Everyone now knew about Lila. But how? He didn't say anything, and judging by the way Rhonda looked, she had no clue either. Helga was confined so she couldn't have said anything. And Phoebe and Gerald were not ones to spread rumors.

"Do you know who could have said it?" he asked.

Rhonda's face widened with joy, realizing who was behind the gossip. "Why yes, I do."

**A/N: I hoped you all enjoyed my little teaser in the beginning. I just couldn't resist. Plus, it's a little funny having such a scene before writing a chapter while they're in church. Make sure to check in tomorrow for the next chapter!**


	25. Reflections and Confessions

**A/N: Hey everyone! I promised you another chapter and here it is. Things will be a little slower for the next few chapters but this is only the calm before the storm. I'm going to dive more into the backgrounds of some of our characters in the coming chapters, so I hope you all enjoy it. I've gotten some interesting feedback about what people predict is going to happen, and I have to say, some of them have given me inspiration of what I want to do. So thanks for some of the suggestions, and if anyone else has anything that they could see or want to see happening, either PM me or comment in the reviews.**

Shortly after breakfast the first class dining room was converted to a chapel. The tables were taken away and the seats lines up in aisles. In the front was an improvised altar where Captain E.J. Smith will preside over the congregation. As it was approaching the time for the service to begin, passengers from both the first and second classes began to fill the room. It was the first and only time second class passengers were allowed up in first class.

Arnold and Gerald got their early, wearing their Sunday best. They were able to select their seats near the front of the room. As they flipped through the songbook, Rhonda and Nadine came and sat next to them. Since Rhonda discovered that Nadine was the one who started telling everyone about Lila, they became even closer.

Although Arnold was happy for Rhonda for avoiding the ruin of her reputation, he was still morose about not seeing Helga. He knew it was for the best right now, though he hated it. He would have done anything to see her face once again.

"Arnold," Gerald whispered as he elbowed his employer. Arnold turned to Gerald, confused. The valet nodded towards the entrance. As Arnold followed to where Gerald was gesturing, Arnold's eyes widened. He saw the blonde haired beauty he was just thinking about, but that wasn't what surprised him. Walking beside her, other than Phoebe, was her older sister.

"What is Helga doing with Olga?" Rhonda whispered. Apparently Arnold and Gerald weren't the only ones who took notice of the peculiar spectacle before them.

"I have no clue," Arnold whispered back. As he looked closer, he recognized Helga's scowl. "But she doesn't look happy about it. I know they haven't gotten along much. And it's surprising that she is out of her room. I was certain Bob restricted her to the suite."

"He did," a soft voice said nearby. Arnold and Rhonda turned to see Phoebe sitting on the other side of Gerald. She must have snuck over when they weren't looking.

"Then what is she doing out here?" Rhonda asked, looking over where Helga and Olga were sitting. Olga was talking animatedly about something while Helga rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Pataki agreed for Helga to leave the room, but only if she would be accompanied by Olga," Phoebe told them. "And as you can see, she decided to take her chances with her sister."

"But why would she go through that suffering?" Arnold asked. Phoebe, Gerald, Rhonda, and Nadine all stared at him, surprised that after everything, he still didn't get it. Arnold looked at both sides to see the multiple glares. "What?"

They all either shook their heads in disappointment or rolled their eyes in frustration. How could anyone be that oblivious to the world around them? Rhonda then looked at Phoebe, now curious about something else.

"If Helga is allowed out, then why isn't she sitting near us?"

Arnold also realized that if Bob wasn't around, then perhaps they could talk. "Am I allowed to be near her now? Her father isn't here, so maybe she can sneak over here and we can sit next to each other?"

Phoebe's face fell. "I'm afraid that's not possible," she replied regrettably. "Mr. Pataki told Olga that if he agreed to Helga leaving the room, then she still had to stay away from you. He said that if you or her even tried to go anywhere near one another, then he guarantee that your business partnership will end and she'll go live in a convent. And then I'll be out of a job."

Arnold groaned softly as he looked over at Helga. She looked back, bearing the same pained look that was worn across his face. It was pure torture to only be able to look and not allowed to touch. It was a worse punishment than not seeing or speaking to her at all.

"What is she doing here?" Arnold heard Rhonda gasped in disgust. He looked at her and followed her gaze to the entrance of the dining room/makeshift chapel. There stood Lila, wearing her best Sunday outfit. The room became quiet as she walked down the end aisle and sat in the back. The whispering picked up again momentarily before the captain took his place at the altar and began his sermon.

Arnold almost felt sorry for her for having to deal with this, but he remembered that she did it to herself. She lied to everyone about who she was, spread nasty rumors about Helga, professed her love for him in front of an entire dining room, and threatened to tell everyone Rhonda's darkest secrets. That pity turned to rage for a moment, but in the end, he knew she wasn't worth any of his emotions.

Arnold was barely able to focus on the service. His eyesight continued to glaze over Helga. He could barely see her face because of her hat, but every once in a while, she would turn her head enough to that he could see the glimmer in her eye. He absorbed it as much as he could, for he didn't know when they would see each other again.

* * *

"Do I really have to wear that?" Helga asked as she snubbed her nose to the dress Olga picked out. It was not her style to say the least, and she couldn't believe that Olga would pick something like that out for her.

"It looks beautiful on you, baby sister," Olga assured as she hung it across Helga's body in the mirror. Helga's face contorted to one of disgust. "And it's entirely appropriate for church. You can wear it just for that and then you can change afterwards."

"Absolutely not," Helga argued. "I refuse to wear it, and you can't make me. It's absolutely atrocious!"

Olga's bottom lip quivered as her eyes welled up with tears. Helga closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew what was coming. "I was just trying to help, baby sister," Olga whined. "I just wanted to be a good older sister and be there for you, and I'm just ruining it! How you must hate me so. I'll just go tell Papa that this will not work and that it might be best if you just stay in the room."

Helga's eyes shot wide open. There was no way she was going to miss her one chance to see Arnold. "Now, now," she said. "Let's not be hasty about this. It really isn't a bad dress."

"Do you really mean that, baby sister?" Olga sobbed softly. Helga nodded.

"I was just being my overdramatic self, I guess. I will wear the dress, but only for church. After that, I go back to wearing my regular clothes."

"Oh, baby sister!" Olga exclaimed gleefully. "Thank you so much! I promise you won't regret it. And after church, I have something special planned for luncheon! So, I'm going to let you get dressed and I'll meet you in the sitting room in thirty minutes. I'll tell your little maid she can come in."

Helga gave a fake smile that quickly turned into a scowl as Olga left the room. "Ugh," she sighed as she looked at the dress. It was hideous, and Helga was surprised that someone who loved designer outfits such as Olga would think that was beautiful.

"Good morning, Helga," Phoebe said as she entered. "I'm surprised to hear that you will be leaving the room for church. Did your father change his mind or is it only so you can repent for your sins?"

Helga laughed wryly. "A new deal was made. Olga talked to him and convinced that we needed some sisterly bonding time, so I have to spend the rest of the trip next to her. We already had breakfast together in the promenade."

"Oh my," Phoebe said, trying to hide her chuckling. "How was that?"

"A pure nightmare," Helga responded. "She kept going on about how much fun we will have together and maybe we could meet up with Rhonda and Lila for luncheon."

"Then I guess she hasn't heard," Phoebe said as she began to dress Helga.

"Heard what?"

"The truth about Lila has been spreading all throughout the ship," Phoebe said. "Everyone is talking about how she came off the farm in Pennsylvania snuck her way into high society."

"Is that so?" Helga wondered as a mischievous grin spread across her face. "I guess Rhonda finally had enough of that little demon tormenting her relentlessly and finally decided to admit the truth about her."

"It wasn't Lila," Phoebe said, continuing to dress her employer. "But in fact, it was her maid, Nadine. She couldn't bear it anymore and told Mrs. Brown all about it. Then Mrs. Brown told some others and it has been all anyone can talk about all night. No one even remembers what happened with your father. Or they no longer care. This is the biggest gossip to hit the higher society, let alone first class. I even believe that there are people in second class who know as well."

"Hmph," Helga said while Phoebe fixed her hair. "It appears that Little Miss Perfect's reign was just that: little. Olga is going to be aghast when she finds out the truth about this. She always liked Lila after they met at the Lloyd's Christmas party."

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _"Baby sister?" Olga asked from the other side of the door. "Are you ready yet? We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

"I'm coming!" Helga shouted and looked back at her reflection. "My God, why did you allow such a dress to exist? When we get to New York, I'm burning it."

The two Pataki sisters, accompanied by Phoebe, entered the dining room that was being used for the service. Helga scoured the room for that one particular face. She soon found it amongst a group of friendly faces.

"Olga, look, there's Rhonda and Arnold," Helga pointed out. "Perhaps we could sit near them? I'm sure that you would love to talk with Rhonda and see how she's doing."

Olga smiled uncomfortably. "That would be swell, baby sister, but I think that it would be best if we keep to ourselves for now."

Helga eyed her suspiciously. "There's something you're not telling me, and I want to know what it is. Right now."

Olga sighed. "Papa made me swear that if we were to go out of the room, I had to keep you away from Arnold. He believes that it would not be wise for you two to be together."

Helga's heart sank. The whole reason she even agreed to this was to get close to Arnold, and now it was ripped from her grasp. Helga looked to Phoebe pleading for her servant to help her. Phoebe nodded and headed towards the others.

As Helga and Olga took their seats on the other side of the room, Helga couldn't help but look over at Arnold. "Do you know why our father doesn't want me around Arnold?" Helga asked. "I thought he liked him. I mean, they are business partners after all, and Arnold is a gentleman."

"That may be, baby sister, but anytime you two are near each other, you always seem to get into trouble," Olga said. "And to be honest, I have to agree with Papa on this."

"What do you mean?" Helga asked, her scowl starting to appear.

"Well, think about it. Every time at dinner, there has been some commotion that involved either one of you or the both of you. You yelled at him in front of everyone in this room. And this was the same area where he embarrassed poor Lila after she told him how much she loved him. And then the crème de la crème, you two met each other for dinner after Papa explicitly told you to stay away from him. And unlike you, I'm going to respect Papa's wishes."

Helga turned her head to see Arnold staring back at her, sharing the same expression she had. They were so close to one another, and yet, they might as well be continents apart. The congregation silenced. Helga first thought it was because service was about to begin, but as her head turned towards the front, she could see why everyone was quiet. Helga's eyed glared as the redheaded farmer past the elite society.

"Why is everyone staring at Lila?" Olga asked in a hushed tone. Helga eyed her sister, still in disbelief that Olga didn't know.

"Everyone just found out that Lila isn't who she said she is," Helga answered. Olga looked at her confused. "It just so happens that Lila Sawyer is in fact the daughter of dairy farmers from the wonderful land of Pennsylvania. The only claim she has to our way of life is that her farm's milk is used for Hershey's chocolates."

Olga stared at Helga in shock. "That cannot be," Olga denied. "Lila is such a sweet girl! Surely she belongs in our world. There is no way she is from a farm."

Helga shook her head at her sister's ignorance. "Rhonda told me so herself. The only reason Lila holds a first class ticket for the Titanic is because she knew something about Rhonda that she wanted to keep secret. She blackmailed her way in."

"Enough!" Olga hissed. "I don't want to hear anymore lies about Lila. And it is apparent that Rhonda is making up stories to save her face about something. After all, Rhonda is not known for her honesty. And to show you that Lila is a good person, she shall be joining us for luncheon. Ah, service is about to begin."

Helga kept her scowl on her face during the entire service. She couldn't believe how delusional her sister was. And now she was going to have to suffer through what will be the most uncomfortable luncheon she will ever endure. At that moment, she regretted leaving the room.

* * *

Lila walked into the service and could feel all eyes were on her, watching every step she took. She knew what they were thinking: how could a farm girl from the country wiggle her way into first class with the assistance of one of the wealthier passengers on the ship? She had went into the dining room earlier that morning to tell people about Rhonda's indiscretion. Her reception, however, was not welcoming.

"How dare you think to spread such lies when you haven't been honest with us about yourself from the beginning?"

"Rhonda Lloyd is far too classy to behave in such a way. Shame on you!"

"I was wondering where that stench of manure was coming from."

"You can put face powder and a fancy dress on a cow, but at the end of the day, it is still a cow."

Lila had remained in seclusion for the rest of the morning, embarrassed that her secret was discovered. She contemplated skipping the service and going to the one that will be performed in second class later that day. However, she refused to let them see her defeated. Lila wanted to show them that she was not going to go down so easily. So she walked her way down the aisles and sat in the back of the room. Even though she wanted to appear strong, she didn't want to be uncomfortable the entire service. As Captain Smith performed the service, Lila couldn't help but think of how she had come to the embarrassing and solitary demise that she endured now.

When Lila was little, her family made very little money from the farm. Her mother ended up homeschooling her, preparing Lila to be a working woman. Her mother knew that the farm was no place for a girl like Lila, who had such natural beauty. Since her parents couldn't afford for her to go to any formal finishing school, preparing Lila for work was the next best thing. Lila learned how to read and write. Her parents knew someone that owned a typewriter, and Lila was able to learn how to use it. But her mother still had big plans for her daughter, and taught her one important lesson.

"Don't let anyone keep you down," her mother used to always tell her. "Everyone will say what they can to rip you apart. But you keep your head up and show them you are meant for greatness that will extend beyond this farm."

The lessons came to a sudden halt when Lila's mother passed from typhoid fever. Every night, Helga would recite the words that her mother would say, taking them to heart. When Lila got older, she took the lessons her mother gave her and started looking for jobs in Philadelphia. She was able to get a job as a secretary for the steel company. She worked for them for a few years. Lila enjoyed it greatly and made a decent living from it.

About a year after working in Philadelphia, Lila received a letter from her father. He told her that the farm was failing and for her to come home immediately. Instead, Lila started sending part of her paycheck to her father to help with expenses. The farm was able to stay afloat for several years longer before Lila received another letter. Soon, the money she was sending wasn't enough and her rent started to get expensive. She offered to send for her father to come live with her in the city, but he refused to leave his beloved farm that was in his family for generations. Lila couldn't bear to have her father be unhappy, so she quit her job and moved back to the farm.

It was a miserable time. Lila enjoyed her time in the city. She was enjoying the city life and she soon realized that was where she was meant to be. Now, it was all gone, and she was stuck shoveling manure and retrieving milk from the cows.

One day, Lila had to run into town to retrieve some items when she was nearly run over by a motor car. She managed to get out of the way just in time. The motor car stopped and the passenger asked if she was all right. She looked up to see a well-dressed man kneeling before her. He introduced himself as Milton Hershey and offered to take her back to her farm. She conceded and told him about her family's farm. Interested, he met with Mr. Sawyer and the two were able to strike up a business deal, thus saving the farm for good. As a condolence for almost running her over, Hershey offered to escort Lila to a ball that was occurring in a few weeks. Lila automatically accepted the offer, excited to be among American nobility.

When the day of the ball came around, Lila was sent to New York by motor car. Hershey had promised to buy her a new dress, but the tailor messed it up and it didn't fit. Luckily, Lila brought a spare dress with her. It wasn't extravagant, but it did belong to her mother, as a way to have her with her on this special night.

That special night soon turned to a disaster when Lila met Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. Never had Lila encountered someone who treated her so vulgarly because of where she came from. When she discovered Rhonda in the arms of her driver, Lila first thought of ignoring it completely and acting like she never saw anything. Then the words of her mother echoed into her ear. Her mother would not want anyone to walk over her precious daughter, and Lila was going to make sure that never happened again. Plus, it didn't hurt that there was a certain gentleman that caught her eye.

As the service continued, Lila thought about the hours of training she received to adapt to upper society. It was difficult at times, and Lila forgot several things, but she still managed. She was just about ready to make her début to Arnold when Helga came into the picture. Lila could see how much Arnold adored her, despite the way she acted at parties and various functions. Instead, Lila kept her distance until the right moment came along, which was on the Titanic. It came unexpectedly, since no one knew Arnold was going to be on board, but there was no use hiding now. Little did she know what was in store for her in the coming days.

As the passengers began to file out of the dining room, Lila continued to sit there. She had failed her mother by allowing herself to be torn down by everyone around her. Lila looked up with a hateful look and breathing heavily. She won't allow them to keep her down, especially Helga and Rhonda. Helga for taking Arnold's affections, and Rhonda for telling everyone her past. They will pay, and they will pay greatly.

"Lila?" The redhead looked up to see Olga was standing before her. "I was wondering if you would like to have luncheon with me and Helga this afternoon."

Lila put on her sweetest smile. "I would ever so love to join you and Helga!"

**A/N: So I was a little late in getting this in on my scheduled time due to work and trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to say. I apologize for that, but I will have the next one up very soon since I have plenty of time before I'm scheduled to work again. And who knows? I may have some added surprises along the way to make up for this. I'll see you all soon and don't forget your predictions! I'm curious to know what you think.**


	26. Figuring Things Out

**A/N: Let me start off by apologizing. I promised an update yesterday (although technically I did, but there's been a period longer than twenty-four hours) and I didn't deliver. I was writing yesterday and I reached a point where the story was going somewhere I didn't expect. After thinking about it, I decided that it was too much and needed to edit. So this chapter marks the end of the anniversary of the Titanic voyage remembrance I was trying to do. It would have been interesting if I could have ended it with the striking of the iceberg, but we still have roughly about twelve hours to go before that happens.**

**On a side note, I think I may need some time away from the story in order to make sure I'm not compromising quality. I'm not talking about a week, but maybe not try to update every day, but perhaps every other day, or when I know for certain what I want to write that day. I'm not entirely sure; I'm just rambling at this point. But I hope you enjoy the update.**

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Sid asked Harold as he and Stinky finished getting dressed in their best suits. The ship was able to provide a Catholic Mass for third class passengers, and Sid and Stinky thought it would be best to go and have a spiritual cleansing. Harold, on the other hand, wasn't keen on the idea.

"I'm Jewish," Harold explained. "Won't I burst into flames if I go into a church?"

"First off, it isn't an actual church," Stinky said. "Secondly, that's only if you touch the holy water."

"Very funny," Harold remarked. "As interesting as it sounds, I'm going to pass. Besides, I'm starting to get hungry."

"Are you going to have another eating competition?" Sid asked, chuckling softly.

"You know it!" Harold replied. "I'm going to try and get a group of men put in a small fee if they want to take part. The winner gets the whole pot. And since there has yet been someone who could beat me, I have a good chance of getting the money."

"That's genius, Harold," Stinky replied. "Do you reckon you can get a lot of money from doing that?"

"If I can get enough men to take part, we might be able to replace the missing money, though I'm certain that Eugene has it," Harold answered. "It could be enough to purchase train tickets to California and find somewhere to live."

"Boy howdy, wouldn't it be amazing if we could find a place near the ocean?" Sid asked. "We could fish for dinner some nights and have some fires on the beach."

"Or we could live a little more inland and have an orange tree in the backyard," Harold suggested. "If we make enough money, we could afford a house!"

"Or instead of an orange tree, we could have a lemon tree," Stinky chimed in. "And then we could have lemon pudding all the time!"

"Or both an orange and lemon trees," Sid compromised. "But no matter what, we are not going back to the lives we had before in Yorkshire."

The three men met each other several years ago while working in the coal mines. It was a dangerous occupation. There had been many near death experiences, and the three made sure to keep an eye on one another. One day while they were sat the pub, Sid mentioned that the largest ship in the world was going to set sail in a few weeks and suggested that they should go. Their dreams of being part of moving pictures came when they went to a fair and witnessed a short clip of _David Copperfield_. They were informed that it was a growing business in America and they were instantly intrigued. They had saved as much as they could and were soon able to afford tickets on the luxury liner. A few days before the ship sailed out, the men had quit their jobs and hopped on a train to Southampton.

"That's for damn sure," Harold replied. "We don't need to be in a dangerous situation like that again."

"It's a good thing that this ship is unsinkable," Stinky mentioned, straightening his jacket. "That way we know we will get to America safely. Do you think we could spend some time in New York before heading to California? I would love to see the city for a little bit."

"I'm sure we can do that if we have some money left over," Harold replied. He personally wouldn't mind going to Coney Island and seeing the attractions there.

"Speaking of money," Sid interjected, having something particular in mind, "Harold, did Patty ever find out about what Eugene was doing last night? You haven't mentioned anything, so I was wondering if she discovered anything or not about him taking what we earned the first night of our small comedy group."

"She found him going into one of the men's quarters in the crew passage," Harold told them. "There were different voices in the room. She couldn't hear what they were talking about because the voices were muffled, but she did say that he had a gun on his person."

"A gun?" Stinky asked, with one eyebrow cocked up. Harold nodded in confirmation. "How does he have a gun? With the amount of times he's fallen, wouldn't you think that he would have set it off at some point?"

"That's what I thought!" Harold exclaimed. "But Patty believes that we should consider him dangerous since he does have one. I don't know if Patty would be willing to find out more, but I don't want to put her in a position where she could get hurt."

"She found out enough," Sid answered. "Just out of curiosity, what are you going to do about her once we reach New York? Are you going to try and court her or stay friends? Or are you two just going to part ways and not see each other again?"

Harold sat there for a moment. He didn't even think of what was going to happen between him and Patty. He liked her greatly, and he figured she must like him back in order to help him so much. But he knew that she had her sickly parents to look after, and he wasn't sure if he could take Patty away from them for who knows how long.

"I don't know," Harold replied as he sat on one of the bunks. "I haven't really thought about it. I doubt she'll want to give up her life at sea, just like I don't want to give up on our dreams to California and being in moving pictures. It's what we planned for so long."

"And that's understandable," Sid said. "But we do also understand that if you want to be with Patty and go back to England with her."

"We like Miss Patty," Stinky chimed in. "Even though we did make fun of her in the beginning, we realized she's a really nice woman and she's helped us out so much. She's more than welcome to come with us to California if she wants to, but like Sid said, if you want to join her back to England, we would understand that too."

Harold looked upon his friends and smiled. They may make fun of each other almost all the time, but they were his surrogate brothers, and they took care of one another. He was happy that they accepted Patty and whatever decision he made about her. He just needed to figure out what that decision is.

"I'll see her later today and hopefully we can come to some idea of what to do," Harold decided. "I would love it if she came with us, but I know that she needs this job to help her parents, and I'm not sure if we'll have enough money to bring her with us of she decides to join us."

"We'll figure it out," Stinky said. "Sid and I better get going so we aren't late. Again you're welcome to join us if you choose to. It's taking place in the common room."

"But don't feel forced to come," Sid included. "We know it's not what you believe in. Besides, I'm sure you will want to try and make us some money."

"I do," Harold said. "And I'm sure I can make some more tonight at dinner since there will be more people."

"That's the spirit!" Sid said. "You know, I have a feeling that luck is about to be on our side." He and Stinky wished Harold tons of luck as they left for Mass while Harold headed for his favorite room on the ship.

* * *

Arnold stroked his hands through the waters of the swimming pool. He hadn't been in the water since the first morning and he figured he could do some laps to clear his mind. Desperately he wanted to go to Helga after the church service, but she left quickly, and by the looks of it, not too happily either.

Arnold couldn't blame her. Helga and Olga never seemed to get along with one another that much. When they first met, Arnold saw that Olga always called Helga baby sister. Back then, he thought that it was sort of sweet that Olga saw her sister as this innocent little thing. But now, he realized that Olga had trouble seeing Helga as a young woman. She still thought of her as someone who is pure to the world. Arnold had no doubt that Olga loves Helga, but just that she had a difficult time showing it properly.

As Arnold continued to paddle, he remembered the look Helga had on her face when she was in the chapel. When she first walked in, she looked a little frustrated. It must have been the dress she was wearing. Arnold knew well that wasn't her style at all and he figured Olga must have picked it out for her. But it was her eyes that he really noticed. They had life in them, and looked so hopeful. But when he looked over at her again, they were filled with pain and longing. She must have been told that she still couldn't see him.

Arnold sighed internally. He and Helga had become close over the years. At any function where they both were in attendance, they would spend most of the time together, arguing with one another in a battle of wits. It was a different atmosphere than when Arnold talked to other women. Most just wanted to gossip about someone on the other side of the room or the latest fashions. But not Helga. Sure she would take part in some gossip, but she made it enjoyable. She would always include some comment that would make Arnold laugh and add in his own comeback and the two would argue until they were purple in the face.

It was almost unbearable for Arnold to be away from Helga this long, especially in such close quarters. She was his closest friend besides Gerald, and she was there for him when his grandfather became too sick to run the hotels on his own and Arnold had to step in and begin making executive decisions. Helga even attended both his grandparents' funerals when they passed. She stayed by him when he was grieving, since it was unknown where his parents were. All Arnold knew was they went south to help procure medicine and they were never heard from again. Arnold was just a baby when they disappeared and had no memory of them. They were merely ghosts of his past.

Deciding he has swam enough for that day, Arnold got out of the pool and started wiping himself off. He tried everything he could think of to keep his mind off the blonde who has stolen his heart from the moment he met her, but it was proven difficult. Everything came back to her. Finally, Arnold couldn't take it. He had kept his love for her a secret for so long, that he was bursting at the seams for not being able to say it to her. He had to figure out some way to see her and to tell her everything, including why he made the last minute decision to board the Titanic. She had to know, and Arnold was done being quiet.

* * *

Helga stormed back into her room and slammed the door behind her. She paced the room, too frustrated to sit down. How could this be happening? Wasn't being around her sister enough? Now she had to be around the one person she despises the most? It was not happening, and Helga was going to make sure that it wouldn't happen.

"Why are behaving like this?" Olga asked as soon as she entered Helga's room. When church ended, Helga fled for the cabin as Olga invited Lila to luncheon with them. "It is not ladylike in the least. I go out of my way to talk to Papa and allow him to do this, and this is how you thank me?"

Helga looked at Olga disgusted and shocked. "You really have no idea? You just invited someone I positively have no kindness for to luncheon with us! And you have the nerve to ask why I'm behaving the way that I am?"

"That is no excuse to act as such," Olga replied. "Now I don't know why and you and Lila cannot get along, but hopefully this luncheon together will help you two find some common ground. Who knows? Perhaps you two will end up being friends. It is obvious that has happened with you and Rhonda. Why can't the same happen with Lila?"

Helga laughed in disbelief. "Are you seriously that blind to everything? There is no way that Lila and I could ever be friends. There is no way she and I could ever just be cordial to one another. I don't know what sort of dream world in which you are living, but that will never happen."

Olga shook her head at her sister. "Why must you be so stubborn? I have done nothing but tried to help you today, and all you have done is insult everything I have done."

Helga's jaw dropped. Did Olga seriously just say that? Helga walked closer to her sister until their noses were inches away. "I know I'm not perfect, and I certainly haven't been an angel this morning, but you're not innocent either. I tried to tell you earlier about Lila and you called me a liar!"

"It was just gossip, Helga," Olga retorted. "Barely any of it is true."

"That may be, Olga," Helga began, "but what I'm telling you is. Just like Madeline Astor is expecting, Lila Sawyer is nothing but a dairy farmer, pretending to be something she isn't."

"And you expect me to believe this because you said so?" Olga asked.

"Yes!" Helga exclaimed, waving her hands around. "I'm your sister! We are blood, and yet you would rather believe someone you have barely known for a week! She started a rumor about me that I was having an affair with a German spy who infiltrated the British government!"

"That is ludicrous!" Olga exclaimed, surprised by this news.

"Thank you!" Helga replied, breathing heavily.

"Why would you believe that someone like Lila would ever say something like that?" Olga asked. "First, that rumor is so outrageous that no one would ever believe it. Second, Lila is such a sweet girl. She would never say such things."

Helga's hands balled up into fists, becoming more irate as the seconds ticked by. "Lila Sawyer is anything but a sweet girl. She has tried multiple times to spread lies about me, and you defend her! Just like you defended Father about the way he has treated me ever since we stepped foot onto this ship."

"I've always been on your side, baby sister," Olga assured.

"Like hell you have!" Helga shouted back, rolling her eyes. "I may be loud. I may be rude. Hell, I may act more like a man than a woman at times, but the one thing I'm not is a liar. I've never lied to you before. I even told you the truth about Doug when you were engaged to him. Remember that he had a little hussy on the side? You believed me then! What benefit do I gain by lying to you about Lila?"

Olga paused for a moment. "I see your point, but let me ask you this. What does Lila gain by spreading lies about you?"

Helga hesitated for a moment. Does she dare tell Olga the truth? Does she final admit her feelings about Arnold to someone in her family? Helga knew Bob would throw a fit while Miriam probably wouldn't be conscious enough to hear everything. And Olga? It was difficult to predict how she would react, but it may help her see that Lila isn't all who she appears to be.

"Lila wants Arnold to see me in a bad light," Helga explained. "She believes that by doing so, he will find her more attractive, even though he has explicitly said he does not have feelings for her, and never will after the way she embarrassed him."

"What exactly are you saying?" Olga asked.

Helga took a deep breath. "Lila and I are both in love with Arnold," Helga said. Olga stared at her little sister with wide eyes. She certainly did not see that coming. "So it turns out we have more of a common ground than you thought."

"So you two dislike each other because you are in love with the same man?" Olga asked confused about the entire situation.

"Lila is," Helga explained. "I hate her because of how she treated Arnold. She has thrown herself at him this entire trip and put him in uncomfortable positions. She came to his room to apologize for telling him that she loved him in front of everyone, and then kissed him! And she made sure that I would be there to see it because she wanted to make me jealous. All she did was made herself look like a damn fool this entire trip."

Olga sighed. "To be fair, baby sister, you haven't treated Arnold well either. You've embarrassed him as well. And why he decided to still see you afterwards is baffling. Now, get dressed for luncheon. Lila will be expecting us soon, and I expect you to be on your best behavior."

Helga stood there in disbelief. She tells her sister that she is in love with someone and she completely tosses it to the side as if she said it was raining outside. Strike that, Olga had more of a reaction to inclement weather than she just had about Helga's news. She couldn't do it anymore.

"I'm not going," Helga said just as Olga was about to leave the room. Shocked, Olga looked back at the young blonde.

"I beg your pardon?" Olga asked.

"You heard me," Helga replied. "I'm not going to luncheon with you and Lila. I absolutely refuse."

Olga looked at her in disbelief. "You know that if you don't come with me, you cannot leave the room."

"I prefer it than spending one more second with either of you," Helga spat. "And while I'm being honest, the only reason I even decided to agree to this was so I could see Arnold."

Olga's bottom lip quivered, but she kept her face calm. "Well, then," she spoke softly. "I guess I will leave you alone then. I'll tell Phoebe to come in."

As Olga left the room, Helga lied on her bed. She was beyond frustrated and disappointed with how Olga reacted to her news. How could her own sister go against her? They may have not gotten along much over the years, but Helga always believed that her sister would always choose her over someone else, especially when it came to nonfamily. It was disheartening to Helga when she realized that she was incorrect in her assumption.

"Helga?" Phoebe asked as she entered the room. "Are we still dressing you for luncheon? I just passed Olga and she seemed upset? Did something happen between you two?"

"She wanted to invite Lila to luncheon," Helga explained, not moving from her spot on the bed. "She believes that I'm lying about Lila's past, so we fought and I refused to go to luncheon with her."

"Oh, dear," Phoebe muttered as she sat next to Helga. "I cannot believe Olga would believe Lila over you. You're her sister."

"That's what I said!" Helga exclaimed. "Apparently having the same blood is not enough. I don't understand it."

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Phoebe asked her melancholy employer.

Helga thought for a moment. "Well, there is one thing." She stood up and looked at Phoebe. "You can get this hideous dress off of me. I mean, criminy! It's horrendous. And then can you order room service for me? It looks like I'll be eating here today."

Phoebe smiled at Helga. She got off the bed and began undressing her. "That I can do, and most willingly. You are right. It's absolutely horrid."

"You're a good friend, Phoebe."


	27. An Unlikely Support

**A/N: Thank you to the guest who noticed my typo and informed me. That has been fixed immediately. I do appreciate being told of my mistakes. I know I said I would probably need some time before I post the next one, but as I was writing the previous chapter, I was sparked with inspiration of what I wanted for this one and I had to get it down quickly.**

Rhonda headed back to her stateroom after luncheon. She decided to eat at the Palm Court, not wanting to interact with many people. She invited Arnold to accompany her to luncheon, who obliged. As they settled down to eat, they noticed two familiar faces. One was Olga, but the person next to her was not her sister, but in fact Lila. The four passengers stared at one another throughout luncheon, with Arnold and Rhonda wondering what happened to Helga. They must have figured she was back in the stateroom, for they knew well she wouldn't have disobeyed her father when he has threatened her to a convent.

What also puzzled them was why Olga was with Lila in the first place. Surely Olga must have known by now who Lila actually was. Even passengers in second class knew about the girl who disguised herself as nobility. They were certain that crew members spread it throughout their quarters and it was gossiped about the third class passengers even. How is it that everyone on the ship could believe it, but not Helga's only sister? They didn't have time to figure it out, since both Olga and Lila left as soon as their lunch was finished.

Arnold decided to head back to his room to rest. He didn't want to be around the ship when there was no chance of seeing Helga. Rhonda didn't blame him, and followed suit. Besides, she needed some rest after everything that has happened on the trip. Even though she was free from Lila's blackmail, she was still exhausted.

Her nap was shortened by a rapping on the door. Groaning, she got up and went to the door. Her groans became louder when she saw who it was.

"What do _you _want?" Rhonda asked the scowling auburn haired woman before her. "I figured you would be hiding for the rest of the voyage."

Lila entered the room without permission. Rolling her eyes, Rhonda shut the door. Already the manners were beginning to disappear. Apparently the lessons Rhonda gave Lila didn't stick for long.

"I know you told everyone," Lila seethed under her breath. "You couldn't keep your mouth shut. Now thanks to you, I'm the biggest embarrassment! And you will pay. I swear that you will regret ever opening your mouth."

Rhonda laughed. "Believe me, I wish I could have thought of doing it long ago. At least I wouldn't have had to suffer the past six months under your control. As much as I would love to take credit for finally ending your reign of terror, it was not me. Also, who tells someone that they will pay for their actions? That other person will just be expecting you to do something. Or, said person will get to you first. So congratulations, you made yourself look like a fool yet again. I hope you're proud of yourself. Now, I'm only going to ask politely just this one time: please get out of my room. If I need to say it again, I will tell the stewards that we will no longer be requiring your cabin."

Lila looked at Rhonda dumbfounded. "Then where am I supposed to sleep?" she asked.

"I'm sure they could find you something in third class," Rhonda said nonchalantly. "I heard the accommodations are quite lovely. Now, am I going to have to ask again?" With a humph, Lila turned on her heels and walked out of the room.

"Mark my words, I will find out who was responsible," she warned as soon as she was in the corridor. "And that person will regret ever opening their mouth!"

"Oh, Lila," Rhonda said as she shook her head. "Will you ever learn?" Lila realized her mistake and walked off before she could show she was blushing. Rhonda waved to her from the entryway, soon joined by someone else.

"Do you think she will ever figure it out?" Curly asked as he watched Lila disappear from their sight.

"Doubtful," Rhonda replied. "She thought it was me, but I set her straight on that. She has no idea. However, just to be on the safe side, we better let Nadine know to keep her guard up around Lila."

"Is she still cleaning Miss Sawyer's cabin?" Curly asked.

"No," Rhonda answered. "But I want to be safe. The next time I see her, I will inform her about the circumstances."

Curly looked over to Rhonda curiously. "Where is she right now?" he wondered.

"I gave her some free time," Rhonda replied. "She did deserve it. Plus, I was wanting to take a nap after everything."

Curly slowly began to smile. "How would you feel about me joining you on this nap?"

Rhonda chuckled. "I doubt you will enjoy it," she answered. "I will only be sleeping. Besides, don't you have to work?"

"They won't miss me if I'm gone for a few hours," he shrugged. "And I know I will enjoy it because it will be with you. And I wouldn't mind the rest either, considering all the unrest you have provided for me the past few days." Rhonda blushed. Accepting his answer, she moved to the side for him. She closed the door behind her and the two crawled into bed, enjoying a much needed slumber. But not without some exercise beforehand.

* * *

Helga sat on one of the lounge chairs on the private promenade, staring out to the horizon. All that can be seen for miles was the ocean. A thin line separated the blue from the salt water of the Atlantic with the blue of the sky. She was now back to wearing one of her dresses, freed from the chains that Olga shackled on her earlier. Olga had left hours ago to have luncheon with Lila and has yet to return. Helga assumed that they would spend the rest of the day together, doing everything that Olga wanted to do with her.

Meanwhile, Helga ate on the promenade by herself. Bob was who knows where and Miriam was still unconscious in her bedroom. Phoebe offered to stay, but Helga insisted that she eat with Gerald. It didn't make sense for both of them to be away from the men they care about. Once the food arrived, Phoebe made sure Helga was settled in before leaving her to herself. Helga didn't mind being by herself, however. In fact, she much enjoyed it. She didn't have to listen to mind numbing chatter about fashion and upcoming polo matches. Best of all, she didn't have to see Lila.

Helga did all she could to keep occupied. There was only several books in their room, most of which she has already read. She had already used up the stationery she brought with her on the trip, so she was unable to write. Helga decided on a book she hasn't read and completed its contents in a short time. Not wanting to waste all her resources the first day of two or three, she instead looked out at the passing waves as the ship continued its course west to America.

"Has anyone seen my glasses?" Helga could hear inside the suite. Helga figured Miriam must have woken up to begin her bingeing of various alcohols before falling into a stupor until ty next day. With a sigh, Helga walked into the sitting room to find her mother crawling on the floor like an infant.

"They're on your head, Mother," Helga reminded her, just like every other time. Miriam placed her hand on her head to feel the glass and metal that were currently perched there.

"So they are," Miriam answered, pulling them back down onto her face. "What are you doing in the room, Helga? Is it time for dinner?"

"It almost is," Helga acknowledged, looking at the clock. It won't be long before the bugle will sound for everyone to have dinner. Perhaps the time sped by quicker than Helga realized. "Father and Olga will be returning soon to dress for dinner."

"Then will you be dressing soon as well?" Miriam asked. She managed to get on her feet and walk over to where the alcohol was kept. How it has remained replenished, Helga was uncertain. What was more surprising was Miriam was completely unaware of everything that has happened, though she really shouldn't be since Miriam has been barely conscious the entire time they've been on the ship.

"I'm not allowed," Helga informed her inebriated mother. Helga sat down on one of the couches as her mother poured a drink. "Father has restricted me to only the suite until we dock in America because of my behavior at several dinners."

"Was I dreaming or did he agree to let you leave the room with Olga?" Miriam slurred as she took a sip of her drink and plopped next to Helga on the couch. Helga looked at Miriam, surprised that her mother knew anything that was going on.

"He did, and I agreed to it for a moment," Helga informed her mother. She grabbed her mother's drink and placed it on the other side. "Why do you insist on drinking yourself to the brink of death every day? One of these days, you're going to drink so much that you won't wake up. Do you realize the gravity your actions have on your family?"

Miriam sighed. "I guess it's time you knew the truth," Miriam said. Helga looked at her questioningly. Miriam's voice changed. It was no longer the slurred mess to which Helga was accustomed. She was coherent, clear as day. Miriam motioned to the drink beside Helga. "Have a sip of it."

Helga did as she was told, but it wasn't what she expected. "It's tea," Helga discovered, taking another sip. "Tea at room temperature. I don't understand."

"I don't drink alcohol, Helga," Miriam said. "I haven't for years. I've only pretended to do so."

Helga shook her head in disbelief. It couldn't be. Miriam has been drunk for as long as Helga could remember. There was never a function that Helga had to make the excuse that Miriam was under the weather. If people hadn't already known her drinking problem, they would have thought she was always on her deathbed, just clinging to life by a thread.

"If that's even true, then why lie about it?" Helga wondered. "Who does such a thing?"

"Please try to stay calm about this," Miriam told her youngest daughter. Already Helga started to get nervous. "Please try to understand that I am unhappy being married to your father. You know how he is, always making a spectacle of himself. A few years after you were born, your father was enraged about something. I started drinking. I drank so much that I was unconscious until the next day. I asked the servants what happened, and they told me what happened. Basically your father left me alone the entire time. That's when I decided that the best way for him to leave me alone was to drink. Naturally, I distasted the feeling I received after a night of drinking, so I couldn't do that again. Instead, I just started making tea and pouring it into decanters. I would say it was gin, which I know your father doesn't drink, so he was none the wiser. I would pretend to drink until I was no longer conscious. I'm sorry I never told you, but I knew you would be able to take care of yourself. You were always a strong-willed child."

Helga just stared at her mother, completely blindsided by what she just said. All this time she has lied about drinking? "How could you?" Helga whispered. "This whole time you were capable of taking care of me and yet you hid behind falsely drinking alcohol? How long were you going to keep this a secret?"

"Only until your father passed," Miriam reasoned. "Then I would have made a miraculous recovery and spent the rest of my days with you and Olga."

Helga shook her head is disappointment. "And miss everything else that would have happened? What about what we already went through? You were absent from so much as it is. And yes, I may be strong-willed, but I still need my mother."

Helga stood up and went over to another couch. She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes, but she refused for them to escape, or to let her mother seem them. There was so much anger inside Helga, but it was masked by the amount of hurt Helga felt. Helga soon felt something warm against her. She looked to see Miriam beside her, holding her tightly.

"I am so sorry, Helga," Miriam whispered. "I have been nothing but a coward your whole life. I know nothing can replace the time we missed, but I would like to try to be a better mother to you. I want to make it up to you and show you that I can be the mother you need."

Helga scoffed. "I doubt there's anything you can do now. You lied to your family for decades. How can I trust you won't disappoint me in this?"

"I know it's difficult," Miriam answered. "But how would you feel if I know a way you can sneak out of the room and visit Arnold?"

Helga turned towards her mother. Did she just say that? Is she being serious? And how did she know about Arnold? Helga wished she could tell Miriam everything, but after the explosion with Olga, she didn't feel safe telling any other family member the truth.

"Why would I want to visit that Football Head?" Helga scoffed. "And even if I did, Father already threatened me if I left the room without Olga, he would send me to a convent. And I'm not going anywhere with Olga again on this ship. Not after what happened this morning."

"I don't blame you," Miriam replied, catching Helga off guard. "You sister, God love her, is not the brightest person when it comes to common sense. As for Arnold, I've known for years how you feel about him. I saw it in your eyes how smitten you are with him, and I can't say I'm surprised. He's a good man from a good family, and I know he will take care of you. And don't you even think of trying to deny it to me."

Miriam really saw all of that? She also knew everything that happened? It shouldn't have come as a big surprise. Pretending to be drunk was a clever way to listen in on conversations. Helga thought of all the times she had monologues of her devotion to Arnold and wondered if Miriam heard them all. She blushed at the thought.

"So you know I love him," Helga stated. Miriam nodded. "Do you know how he feels about me?"

"I do," her mother replied. "Has he told you how he felt about you?"

Helga shook her head. "He could just tolerate me for all I know. Or he knows how I feel about him and decided to make some big game out of it."

"Well, I can assure you that he doesn't know," Miriam told her. "That poor boy's denser than a rock. And he does more than tolerate you, but that's not my place to say. He needs to be the one to tell you."

"But how can I know if I'm not allowed anywhere near him?" Helga pointed out. "As much as I enjoy defying Father, I have no interest in joining a convent."

"I promise you, you will not be sent away," Miriam swore to her youngest daughter. They heard one of the doors being unlocked. "Don't say a word to either of them about this." At that moment, Miriam placed her glasses on the top of her head and sprawled out on the couch. Helga barely had time to react when Bob entered the room.

"Olga, what are you doing in the room?" Bob asked. "I thought you would be out with your sister doing whatever girls your age do."

"Believe me, if I knew, I would tell you," Helga told him, not even bothering to remind him of her real name. "After church, I decided that it would be best to spend the rest of the time here. As much as I enjoyed Olga's company, it will just be best if I'm not around anyone."

"All right," Bob muttered, accepting the lie. "Well, I'm about to dress for dinner. Oh criminy, is she still passed out? I thought she was in the bedroom."

Helga looked over at her mother, who appeared to be unconscious. "She came out and poured herself several drinks," Helga explained. "She didn't make it off the couch."

"Well, don't you go starting that nonsense!" Bob scolded. "The last thing this family needs is another drunk ruining the name." Bob walked off into his room. Helga bent down and nudged her mother.

"He's gone," she whispered. Miriam opened her eyes. "How is this going to work?"

"Darling, don't you remember?" Miriam asked. Helga cocked her eyebrow, trying to figure out the riddle her mother had given her. "It's Sunday. What does your father tend to do on Sundays?"

"He has his gambling night," Helga realized. Bob loved gambling on Sundays. He could think of no better way to start the work week than to have taken everyone's money, and he enjoyed going late into the night. "What about Olga? What if she tries to find me?"

"I'll distract her," Miriam said. "She can't help but want to try and help when I start to act inappropriate." Helga shrugged, knowing that was true. "When Phoebe comes back, figure out a meeting place for you and Arnold to meet. Spend as much time as you can together."

Helga smiled. "Thank you, Mother." She gave Miriam a small peck on the cheek and headed to her room, waiting for Phoebe to arrive. Miriam smiled as she saw her daughter excited. She had great hopes for Helga, and now that she might be able to have love that would lead to a husband and family.

* * *

Arnold sat glumly at his table, picking at his food. It was dinnertime and he didn't want to think of having it around other people without Helga. He could have had it with Rhonda, but he also didn't want to risk the chance of seeing Lila again. Even though he wouldn't have been eating in the dining room, there was a small chance Lila would be there. There was a small chance Lila could be having dinner in any of the restaurants on the ship, and Arnold was not feeling bold enough to run the risk of having to deal with her.

Sitting next to Arnold was his trusty valet. Arnold didn't want to keep Gerald from seeing Phoebe, since meals were basically the only time they got to spend any time together. Yet, Gerald insisted on staying, especially since Phoebe told him that she was planning on keeping Helga accompanied that evening. He also knew Arnold would be upset, especially receiving the confirmation that Helga was indeed staying in her room until the ship landed in New York. It also angered Arnold when Gerald told him that Olga was siding with Lila over her sister. He didn't want to even see her again, so overall it was just best for him to stay away from everyone. He figured if he couldn't see Helga, then what was the point of leaving the room?

He hadn't left since he returned from luncheon. Then he spent the entire afternoon in his bed, wrapped around the pillow Helga used the night before. He could barely catch the scent that still clung onto the sheet, but with each inhale, he could feel her right there.

"There's something freeing about eating in the room," Gerald spoke aloud. He had tried many times to get Arnold to talk about anything, and Gerald was running out of subjects. Arnold stared at him blankly. "You don't have to worry about what you look like," Gerald continued. "There's not that need to look your best and try to impress everybody. You know what would be a radical idea? Eating dinner in our pajamas and not being sick. Can you imagine that?"

A sudden knock disrupted the one-sided conversation. _Thank God,_ they both thought as Gerald opened the door.

"Phoebe!" he exclaimed. Arnold turned his head towards the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to have dinner with Helga?"

"I need to speak with Arnold," she answered. Gerald let her in without question as Phoebe made her way to Arnold. "I have a message from Helga. She wants to meet you tonight."

Arnold's eyes widened. So there was hope. But there was one problem. "What if someone were to catch us? What if her father finds out? Or Olga?"

"It's his gambling night," Phoebe informed him. "He won't leave it for any reason. Plus he will be drinking a lot. Last year on one of those nights, we had a small kitchen fire. When we informed him, he didn't come back all night. When he finally did come home, he asked where the fire was so he could put it out himself. Even after we told him it was out, he still dropped his pants and relieved himself, exclaiming that was how he was going to put out the fire."

"Classy," Gerald remarked. "But what about Olga? From the sounds of it, she will inform their father."

"Olga will be indisposed for the night," Phoebe said. "And from what I heard, no one has seen Lila all night. Helga is wanting to see you Arnold, and she wants to know where and when to meet you."

"I have an idea," he said. "But I will need your help."

Arnold sat there with butterflies in his stomach as he told the two servants his idea. They both agreed to it and began to make preparations. It was finally the chance to Helga of his love. And this time, he was going to make sure that nothing got in his way.


	28. Late Night Interactions

**A/N: Yay, another update! We are quickly approaching the end of the day, so you better be prepared for anything that can and will happen. Normally I don't like to give spoilers, but I decided to be nice and give you one. There will be a confession of love that occurs in this chapter. I know, about time, right? Anyways, I do hope you like it!**

"Are you sure he isn't mad?" Helga asked Phoebe as she dressed her. Helga was supposed to meet Arnold hours ago, but complications arose that none of them expected.

"He understands," Phoebe told her employer. "He wished you could have come sooner, but I told him what happened."

Helga scoffed. "Who would have suspected that Olga would have wanted me to help her with Mother? Normally, she likes doing that sort of thing herself so she could be fawned over what the perfect daughter she wants everyone to think she is."

Phoebe chuckled as she pinned up Helga's hair. "She does love being in the spotlight, doesn't she? But I am surprised she wanted you around, especially with all that happened between the two of you today."

"All she wanted to do was boast about how her and Lila did all sorts of activities that the two of us were supposed to do," Helga mentioned as she rolled her eyes. "I think she was trying to make me jealous."

"Are you?" Phoebe wondered. Helga snorted at the thought.

"Not at all!" Helga exclaimed. "All it did was anger me more that Olga took Lila's side over mine. She wants us to believe that we are such a perfect family, and yet when it comes time for her to stand with family, she stands on the other side of the line. It's ridiculous. Thank goodness she finally went to bed. I was about to think she would never leave."

"Does your mother know about the feud between you two?" Phoebe asked.

"She does," Helga sighed. "But she isn't going to do anything about it right now. She doesn't want to blow her cover that she isn't a drunk just yet."

"That's so sad," Phoebe replied as she placed a hat over Helga's head. "You would think that she would at least help you with Olga, or at least tell Olga the truth."

"She's a work in progress," Helga explained. "Just admitting the truth about her secret and helping me with Arnold is a start. Maybe we'll get lucky and something will happen to him soon so she will be able to stop hiding."

"Helga!" Phoebe exclaimed. "What a horrible thing to say. Though I don't blame you for saying it."

"I just hate seeing her like this," Helga said glumly. "And I really don't wish ill will on my father. But I do wish Mother would have the strength to at least divorce him. She shouldn't have to suffer for so long. To be honest, I don't know why she didn't think of that in the first place. What do you think Phoebe?"

"I'm not sure, Helga," Phoebe replied. "But I'm sure she has her reasons. Maybe deep down, she loves your father. I mean, she married him for a reason, right?"

"I guess," Helga said. "When we had dinner together, she told me about her life when she was younger. She lived in the Midwest, down in Texas. She came from cattle ranchers and her father would compete in cowboy contests. She would sneak practices before dawn and disguise herself as a man to compete. She's actually won several titles, one of them being bull riding."

"That's incredible," Phoebe said in awe. "I didn't know how vivacious your mother used to be. I'm guessing it all changed when she married your father."

"A few years after she did," Helga clarified. "He was so oppressive to her. It got better when Olga was born and all his energy went into her. But after I was born, it got worse. I wasn't the son he wanted, so of course he blamed Mother."

"How horrible," Phoebe said. "Do you think she partially blames herself as well?"

"She could," Helga said. "But now is not the time to discuss this. We can talk about it tomorrow after I see Arnold. Speaking of Arnold…"

A tap came from the door. Phoebe went to answer it. "Good evening, Gerald," she replied the door opened. "Are you here to escort Helga? Because we were about to come soon."

"Not exactly," Gerald said. "Arnold asked me to come and inform you that where you will be meeting is rather cold and wanted to make sure you are properly dressed. And from the looks of it, it appears you need some extra time."

Helga groaned. Was there going to be anything else to delay their meeting? "It's almost eleven already," Helga whined, then looked over to Gerald. "Just give us a minute. I have a wool dress I can wear."

Gerald nodded and left the room. "Hurry it up, Phoebe. Every time here is a precious moment gone from Arnold."

"Hurrying!" Phoebe exclaimed as she rushed to grab Helga's winter clothing.

* * *

Harold had grown concerned when he didn't see Patty at dinner. In fact, he hadn't seen her all day. After winning ten dollars in the eating competition during luncheon, he decided it was best to get some rest and to prepare for dinner. Sid and Stinky assured him that she was probably trying to figure out what was going on with Eugene. Harold figured they were probably right and took part in another competition. This time, he won fifteen dollars, earning them more than what they earned the first night. They even had enough to being Patty with them.

Harold had planned on telling her the news that evening. He figured she would be in the common room, keeping an eye on the passengers. As time went on and Patty hadn't shown up, Harold didn't want to wait any longer. He told Sid and Stinky he was going to search for her. They nodded, telling him that they were going to take the money they made the second night and play some cards. Before beginning his search, Harold quickly went down to their room and grabbed his coat.

He didn't have to search for long until he found her sitting on one of the benches on the boat deck. She was covered up in a shawl, but that didn't appear to be keeping her warm in such unexpected freezing temperatures.

"Patty!" he called, running over to her. He pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her. "What are you doing out here? You'll freeze to death."

Patty didn't reply, but simply looked up at the sky. Harold followed her lead, in awe of what he saw. "I've never seen so many stars before," he said as he sat next to her. The sky indeed was filled with stars, more than usual.

"What are you doing out here?" Patty asked, keeping her eyes on the sky.

"I was looking for you," Harold explained, looking at her. "I didn't see you at dinner or afterwards, so I came searching for you. There was something that I wanted to ask you."

Patty turned her head towards him. "What is it you wanted to ask me?" she asked, purposely not mentioning the reason why she was absent. She had spent the evening with Eugene, sneaking into first class estates and evaluating the valuables they plan on taking. When it was over, Patty went up to the deck to clear her mind and pray for a way to stop it.

"What is going to happen between us when we make it to America?" Harold asked flatly.

Patty took a deep breath. She was not expecting that type of question, nor did she really think about it. "I'm not sure," Patty replied. "I figured you would have went to California and I would stay with the White Star Line and head back to England."

"Is that what you want?" Harold asked her. She shrugged. "Well, what if I were to tell you that we didn't have to separate?"

"What are you talking about?" Patty asked, confused by what he just said.

"What if instead of me going to California, I go back to England with you? I could try and get a job with White Star Line and sail with you. And we could find a home near your parents so we can take care of them together."

Patty looked at him stunned. Never was she expecting that. She shook her head violently. "I couldn't ask you to give up your dream of being in moving pictures," she said. "You three have such dreams for a life in California. I cannot be the cause of the separation between the three of you."

"You wouldn't be," Harold assured her. "I've talked with them and they accept if I come with you. But there is another option. Instead of me going back to England, you can come with us to California. I've made enough money with my eating competitions to bring you along with us. I know you have your parents to worry about and I understand if you don't want to abandon them, but give it some thought. After all, we still have a few more days until I need an answer."

Patty sat there flabbergasted. "I don't know what to say," she whispered. "This is a lot to consider, Harold. I mean, England is my home."

"And I understand that," he replied. "Which is why I'm telling you now and not when we are on the docks. I wanted to give you the time to think it through so you know for sure. I love you Patty, and I only wish to make you happy, even if that meant never seeing you again."

Again Patty was dumbfounded. Never had anyone told her that he loved her. It was a new feeling to Patty, but she could tell he meant what he said. A small smile crept on her face.

"I love you, too," she said. "I just really need time to think this through." She gave him a small peck on the cheek and looked at the stars. She slightly frowned when she also remembered that there was also the situation with Eugene to figure out. She moved the thoughts to the side. She didn't want anything to spoil her night with the man she loved.

"What's that ringing sound?"

* * *

Once Helga was finished getting ready, it was quarter past eleven. Gerald waited outside the door to escort Helga to the location where Arnold was waiting while Phoebe stayed in Helga's room to keep an eye out for Bob and Olga. Helga and Gerald kept a close eye around the corridors, avoiding the heavy traffic that would be along the grand staircase.

Arnold stood outside on the first class deck, jumping up and down. It was partly due to nerves and partly due to the cold. He never expected for the temperatures to plummet so much. Gerald had told him the weather was nice during the day. But Arnold had already planned for this meeting and he couldn't back out of it. He wanted it to be outside for the romantic atmosphere, though it won't be as romantic with the air being below freezing.

Arnold smiled as he saw Gerald brought Helga out. It may have been only that morning since they last saw each other, but it might as well have been an eternity. Arnold swore she had become more beautiful in the past half day.

"Good evening, Helga," Arnold said. "You look lovely tonight."

"There better be a good reason why you brought me out here, Football Head," Helga snarked, her teeth chattering.

"I sure have missed your infectious personality," Arnold smirked. "Thank you, Gerald. You're dismissed for the night."

"Thank you, Arnold. Helga." Gerald went back inside and sighed in relief to be back in the heated ship. He hurried over to see Phoebe and give her a quick kiss before heading off the bed for the night.

"So I see you were able to escape Fortress de Pataki," Arnold joked. "How does being free feel?"

"It feels like I'm freezing my hind quarters," Helga remarked. "Honestly, why did you choose to meet out here? We couldn't go to the lounge or the Reading and Writing Room?"

"Not if you wanted to be around a lot of other people," Arnold pointed out. "I thought we could use some privacy. It just so happens the weather has helped us in keeping that privacy. So I heard you were detained for a few hours."

Helga chuckled. "You heard correctly," she replied. "Sheriff Olga wanted me to help Miriam in one of her drunken fits."

"I hope I'm being out of place here, but do you ever think of finding your mother some help with her alcohol problem?" Arnold wondered. "I mean, she's been drinking for as long as I've known her, and possibly longer. It would be a shame for her to miss out on life because she's always unconscious."

Helga laughed at his ignorance. "It turns out that Miriam is not an alcoholic. She's been pretending while actually drinking tea at room temperature because of how my father treats her."

"Oh, wow," Arnold muttered. "How do you feel about that?"

"I rather not discuss that right now," Helga replied. She walked over to the ship's railing and looked into the darkness that was illuminated by the thousands of stars in the skies. "I'm surprised that there isn't a wind tonight. The water is so calm. You have to see this. It's actually quite remarkable."

Arnold walked over and saw for himself. "Hmm, you're right. In all my times sailing, I have never seen the sea so calm before. Nor have I ever seen this many stars at one time. Or in my lifetime."

"It is amazing," Helga agreed. Taking a deep breath, Arnold moved closer to Helga.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" he asked. "Even if it is freezing?"

"I suppose one would think it is lovely," Helga replied softly. Arnold gave her a pointed look. "All right, it is beautiful, I'll admit it. Are you happy now?"

"Overjoyed," Arnold smirked. "But there is a reason I asked you out here."

"I hope it wasn't to catch hypothermia," Helga joked.

"No, that will be saved for a later time," Arnold returned the joke. "But in all honesty, this is something I have to tell you."

"Oh, goodness," Helga said softly. "You're being serious. That's not a side I'm used to seeing from you."

"Well, it is sort of a serious matter," Arnold said, taking some deep breaths. _Why does this have to be so difficult? Maybe if I tell her the other thing first, then the second part will follow naturally. _"First, I have something to confess. It was not a coincidence that I suddenly came on the Titanic. I originally was planned to be on a different liner, but then I found out you were going to be on this one. So I switched my ticket and came here."

Helga looked upon the blonde male in amazement. He switched his cruising plans because of her? Normally when someone said that, it was because they were making plans to avoid her, not the other way around.

"Well, don't you know how to flatter a woman, Football Head?" Helga remarked. "But why? I don't understand."

"Well…" Arnold began. "Heh, that is a very good question. And I have a good answer for that. Hehe."

Helga looked at him confused. "Why are you acting so weird?" _What is he trying to say? This better not be something awkward like I'm the greatest friend he's ever had. If that were it, I swear I will toss him overboard, and I don't crew how cold it is._

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous," Arnold admitted. _Just tell her! She needs to know, and it will be great to finally tell her. _"I changed my plans for you because-"

"Did you hear something?" Helga asked. Arnold internally cursed at whatever distracted Helga, but he soon heard the same thing.

A distant bell rang three times. Not even went a minute went by before there was a screeching sound of metal and vibrations could be felt throughout the ship, though there were areas that felt nothing and continued on with their usual activities.

* * *

Phoebe felt a slight tremor from her position. It lasted a few seconds, then disappeared. When it didn't come back, she merely shrugged and continued reading, waiting for Helga to return to the room.

* * *

Gerald had fallen asleep in his room. He stirred from a slight tremble, but did not awake.

* * *

Sid and Stinky were in the third class smoking room, playing cards. Neither one felt anything as they continued playing their game.

* * *

Bob was also in the middle of playing cards. He was so focused on his hand that he didn't hear the other men discussing the strange disturbance.

* * *

Olga, Miriam, Lila, Nadine, and Eugene were all asleep, though Eugene was the only one not in his designated cabin. Nadine was the only one to wake from the disturbance as the other slept peacefully in their beds, awaiting for the next morning to arrive.

* * *

"What was that?" Rhonda asked as she bolted from her bed, still undressed from that afternoon. Apparently, she had spent the entire evening asleep, even skipping dinner. Rhonda could still feel the vibration that rumbled the room as it passed.

"It was probably just the engines," Curly muttered, his eyes still closed. He, too, was undressed. "I know Ismay has been pushing the captain for the ship to go faster. Go back to sleep, darling."

"What are you still doing here?" Rhonda asked, rubbing her eyes. "Don't you need to be working? You're going to be sacked if you don't get back to your post."

"I'll worry about that in the morning," Curly muttered. Rhonda shrugged and lied back down, cuddling close to him.

* * *

Helga and Arnold's eyes bolted out of their sockets as a wall of white slid right in front of their faces. "What is that?" Helga whispered.

"An iceberg," Arnold stated, still in shock. "This can't be good."

"Not if that's what we hit," Helga stated back. The two looked on as the ship moved on, mesmerized by the berg they had just passed.

* * *

"Well, isn't that a sight?" Patty said softly. Harold looked over to Patty, then towards the direction she was looking. Harold grabbed a hold of Patty's hand as they passed by a giant block before it disappeared into the horizon.

"I think we just found out the source of that noise," Harold replied. "Do you think we should tell someone?"

Patty shook her head. "It was probably just a nick," Patty said. "Besides, this ship's unsinkable. There's no reason to cause a panic about nothing." Harold shrugged and moved closer to Patty, gazing at the plethora of stars above them.

**A/N: I hope you didn't really believe that I meant Arnold and Helga saying they love each other. That would mean I was being nice, and if you've survived this long with my story, you would know I am anything but, and my little joke just proved it.**

**So here we go; the moment we've all been waiting for, unless you have been dreading it, but you knew it was coming. I must admit, I've been looking forward to this part for quite some time. Who goes first? Who goes last? Who makes it out alive? We will find out in the next few chapters. If you haven't said your predictions, now is the last time to do so. Because as far as I know, the deaths could possibly begin the next chapter.**

**Also, not everyone felt a large vibration that is depicted in the movies. That is pure Hollywood suspense right there. According to eyewitness testimony, it ranged from not feeling it at all, to a slight tremor, to "as if passing over a thousand marbles."**


	29. There's No Reason to Panic

**A/N: And here I thought I couldn't anger you guys any more than I already did. I must say, I am impressed with myself. To make it up to you, I will guarantee one thing: there will be no "Jack and Rose" moment in the ocean whatsoever. I have my own way of how these characters are going to die, and not all are going to be frozen to death. Also, the depictions of the sinking are going to be based on the CGI model James Cameron produced three years ago, not the one from the movie, as he has shown that to be inaccurate.**

Sunday, April 14, 1912; 11:46 PM, six minutes after collision

"This can't be happening. This cannot be happening."

Helga paced along the boat deck, avoiding the area where ice had fallen. It had been a few minutes since Titanic had struck the iceberg, and the engines have stopped, sending Helga into a panic.

"Please calm down, Helga," Arnold asked her, trying to maintain his composure. It wouldn't help if the both of them were pacing like mad people. "I'm sure there is a logical reason as to why the engines stopped. They're probably assessing the damage to see if everything is fine before we start sailing again. Or they think that stopping for the night is best because of the berg and they do not want to run the chance of hitting another one. No matter the reason, panicking is not going to help."

Helga nodded and slowed her pace. "You're right," she conceded. "There must be a perfectly reasonable explanation. After all, the ship's unsinkable. Nothing bad can happen to it."

"Precisely," Arnold replied, moving closer to her. Just then, the engines roared back to life and Titanic began to move once again. "You see? There's nothing to worry about. We're moving once again and everything is fine."

"I think it would be best if I return to my room," Helga decided, trying to catch her breath. "I'm just so flustered from what happened that I'm exhausted. I really need to go and rest. Can whatever you need to say wait until tomorrow?"

Arnold nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. Why does it appear that the universe does not want him to tell Helga of his love for her? "I'll escort you back to your room," he stated, extending his arm out to her. She accepted it, and the two went back inside the ship, feeling the warm air blast into their faces as they came back inside.

"Hopefully we can find a way to meet again tomorrow," Helga said as they walked the corridors. Arnold looked at her curiously.

"Does that mean you have missed me when I have not been around?" he asked.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Don't let the sentiment go to your head, Football Head," she scoffed. "You're one of the few people on this ship with whom I can have a decent conversation."

"If that's what you say, Helga," Arnold chuckled.

"It is," she smirked. "And don't you dare forget it." They continued walking down towards their room when something, or lack of something, made them stop in their tracks.

"The engines have stopped again," Arnold observed. He could see Helga starting to get nervous again, and quickly pulled her along the hallways to get her in the safety of her room. A familiar noise rang out, causing both blondes to cringe.

"My, my, isn't this ever so surprising?"

* * *

"I really should get back downstairs," Patty said as she stood up from the bench with Harold following her. The engines have stopped once again, and it was enough to concern Patty. "I need to figure out what is going on. I have a feeling that I will need to calm a lot of passengers as to the reason we aren't moving."

"Do you think it could be serious?" Harold asked as they started walking downstairs.

"I'm not sure," Patty replied. "But I need to find out. It probably isn't anything. We probably just stopped because of ice. Hitting that berg must have made them think it would be best to stop for the night to prevent any further damage."

"I guess so," Harold agreed. It was like she mentioned before. The ship was unsinkable. They mostly likely stopped for the night and will be back sailing come morning. "I'm going to look for Sid and Stinky and tell them what we saw. They said they would be in the smoking room, but we'll probably go to bed, with it being late and all."

"Sounds like a plan," Patty replied. "If I find out anything, I'll be sure to come and tell you and the others immediately."

"In this case, I hope not to see you until the morning." Harold gave Patty a light kiss as they parted ways. Harold headed on that deck towards the smoking room while Patty continued her way downstairs to the servant's quarters. She was stopped several times by passengers who noticed the ship had stopped. She was unable to provide answers, instead telling them that she will find out for them what is happening. There was no need to cause panic by telling them she saw an iceberg pass them. She was once again stopped by another passenger just before escaping into the safety of the crew passage. This time, it was a passenger she did not wish to see.

"What's going on?" Eugene asked curiously. "The engines have stopped working. Has something happened?"

"I'm not sure," Patty lied. She was about to leave when Eugene stood in front of her, eyeing her carefully.

"You're hiding something," Eugene observed. "You may not know everything, but you know something. Now tell me the truth, or do I need to remind you what will happen if you defy my commands?"

Patty sighed, hating having to be put into this situation. "We struck an iceberg about twenty minutes ago," she replied. "I don't know how much damage it caused, if any, but all I do know is that I need to head to my post and await further instruction."

"Just make sure to let me know all that you learn," Eugene threatened. "It won't be good for you should you neglect to inform me."

Eugene moved to the side and allowed Patty to pass by. As she walked down the crew passage, she noticed a sudden shift in the ship's movement. Patty soon found herself leaning towards the port side of the ship, and covering her ears from the screeching that came from the holding area for the funnels. Worried, she ran to find the rest of the stewards.

* * *

A rapid knocking came from the other side of Rhonda's door. When there was no reply, the door was opened by Nadine. She turned on the lights, stirring both Rhonda and Curly from their slumber.

"What on earth?" Rhonda groaned as the light shined into her eyes.

"Pardon my intrusion, Miss Lloyd, but I fear there is something wrong with the ship," Nadine informed her employer. "The engines have stopped running. They started again several minutes ago but did not last for five minutes. Passengers are starting to roam the corridors, wondering what is happening."

Curly groaned and sat up, startling Nadine. "My apologies, Nadine," he replied. "I can see you were not expecting to see me here. I guess it's best for me to check with the rest of the crew and see if they know what is going on around here. I suggest that you two wait here until you receive further instruction. There's no need to fear. It's probably just a precaution."

"If that's all it is, then why must you go?" Rhonda asked as Curly began dressing. Nadine shielded her eyes in order to prevent from seeing Curly so immodest.

"I might have orders to calm the passengers or something of that sort," Curly explained. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to hide away this time. They will come looking for me if I'm not at my post."

Rhonda waved her hand at him to go. He bid his farewells to both Rhonda and Nadine before exiting the room and into the corridors. "Nadine, being me my robe, will you?" Rhonda asked when they were alone. Nadine obeyed, and draped it over her mistress.

"I apologize for my rash intrusion, miss," Nadine said once Rhonda was fully covered. "I'm just fearful something is wrong with the ship."

"Like Curly said, it is probably nothing that requires our concern," Rhonda concluded. "Why don't you make a pot of tea? Not to mention, we are on the safest ship in the world. Like the papers said, 'God himself could not sink this ship.'"

"Yes, miss," Nadine replied as she prepared the tea. Even though everyone has said they were safe on Titanic, Nadine cannot help but worry that there was something wrong with the grand ship. "Do you believe that Curly will be able to find if something is wrong?"

"If there is a reason to be concerned, he will be notified," Rhonda said without a beat missing. "And he will tell us immediately. Now stop being paranoid. You're starting to frighten me."

"Sorry, miss," Nadine said as she finished the tea. She poured some into a cup and brought it to Rhonda. "Is there anything else you require of me, miss?"

"Not at the moment," Rhonda replied. "You can have yourself a cup if you would like."

"Thank you, miss," Nadine smiled. She balanced herself as the ship tilted. She looked over at Rhonda, who shrugged. As Nadine began to pour herself a cup, a loud whistling noise made its way into the room. Nadine was so shocked by the noise that she dropped the cup onto the floor and continued to pour tea onto the carpet.

"Nadine!" Rhonda yelled over the whistling. "Look what you have done! It'll stain the carpet! Clean it up!"

"Sorry, miss!" Nadine yelled back. She placed the pot on the table and grabbed a towel. She hurried to the bathrooms to grab some cold water. On the way, she was stopped by a steward she doesn't know.

"Beg your pardon, miss," he said. "But we ask that you and your employer go up to the boat deck. Make sure to dress warmly and bring your lifejacket."

Nadine began to worry. "Is everything all right?"

"There's no need to be alarmed," the steward answered. "It's merely a boat drill."

"This late at night?" Nadine questioned, but the steward was already gone. Deciding it was best to do as told, Nadine scurried off back to Rhonda's room, forgetting about the tea stain.

* * *

Lila woke to an unusual silence. It struck her odd to wake up so early, but there was something peculiar. She then noticed it. It was completely silent. She had grown accustomed to the hum of the engine lulling her to sleep. When it went away, she came out of her sleep. Curious as to why the engines were no longer running, she out on her robe and left the room.

As she entered the hallway, Lila noticed it was still barren. She began to wander the corridors in search of any life. She soon ran into someone. It turned out to be a steward who appeared to be disheveled.

"Excuse me, but why have the engines stopped ever so suddenly?" Lila asked the steward. The steward frowned at he looked upon her. Lila frowned as well. "Can't you speak, or are you oh so dumb?"

The steward shook his head. "Sorry, miss, but I am unsure of the reason behind the sudden stop of the engines. I shall be on my way to find out myself. You're Miss Sawyer, are you not?"

"That is ever so correct," Lila answered softly. She should have known that even the crew knew who she was. "Might I ask how you know about me?"

"From Miss Lloyd's maid," he replied. "At least, that is who I was told first mentioned about your… past."

Lila tried her to keep her composure, but she was fuming inside. So it was the maid that opened her mouth. When did she grow a backbone? Lila always knew Nadine to be so timid, so it surprised and angered Lila to find out what she did. Lila walked off without thanking the steward, allowing the anger to consume her. Soon, her eyes delivered a new target, causing her to smile devilishly.

"My, my, isn't this ever so surprising?" she asked the two people standing in front of her, their backs in her direction. The two stopped and turned to reveal themselves as the one Lila loves, and the one Lila loathes.

"What do you want, Lila?" Arnold asked, slightly irritated.

"I only want to know why you two are together," Lila said innocently. "If I remember oh so correctly, Olga told me that you two were not allowed to see each other. It would be ever so bad if Mr. Pataki found out about this. I'm oh so certain he would not be happy to hear this."

"Nice try, Lila," Helga remarked. "But you don't know my father like I do. I know at this moment, he is so drunk and caught up in his gambling that he won't remember anything you say to him. Not to mention he is in the smoking room, in which women are not allowed entry."

Lila smirked, not fazed by the obstacle. "_I _may not be able to tell your father myself," she said. "He wouldn't believe me anyways. But there is someone that he listens to, who just so happens to listen to me."

Helga scowled. She may have despised Lila for trying to take Arnold, but pinning Olga against her crossed the line.

"You listen here," Helga seethed. "You mention one word of this to Olga, and I swear I'll bash your brains in. You are a lowly creature to cause a rift between a family. And I swear before you, Arnold, and God himself that I will do what I can to make sure you never come anywhere near us again."

Lila chuckled. "Your threats are ever so meaningless," she smirked. "Olga will never believe you over me. I may be a farmer's daughter, but at least I'm not the family embarrassment. And seeing the family from which you come, that is really saying something."

Helga couldn't take it anymore. Her heart was racing. Her teeth gritted against one another. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and lashed it across Lila's freckled face. Lila's face turned to the side, her hand holding over her stinging skin.

"You bitch!" Lila spat, then looked over to Arnold. "Can't you see for what she truly is? She isn't even human!"

"She's more of a human than you are," Arnold replied. "At least she doesn't lie to hurt others around her in order to reach the top. Now, you are not going to speak a word of this to anyone. If you do, so help me God, I will ruin you."

Tears began to fill Lila's eyes. She hated to see him mad at her. As she moved closer to him, a sudden slant in the ship caused Lila to fall to her knees and wrapped herself around Arnold's legs. "I'm ever so sorry, Arnold," Lila cried. "I only wish you can see how much I love you and how mad it makes me to see that you love-"

A loud whistle rang out, overpowering Lila's voice. The three placed their hands over their ears.

"What is going on?" Helga yelled.

"I think they are releasing steam from the boiler rooms!" Arnold shouted back, then looking at Lila. "I don't care for your reasons for your behavior, nor do I want any more of it. You can try all you want to say that you love me, but what you have done is not love. It's appalling and I want no association with it. I know there must have been a good person inside you at one point, and I hope you will be able to find that goodness again. But for now, leave Helga and me alone, for right now, we have other concerns that do not include you."

Grabbing Helga, the two blondes continued on their way to Helga's suite, leaving Lila kneeling on the floor, crying. Helga followed, stunned by what just occurred. She didn't know what shocked her more: that she slapped Lila or that Arnold talked to her in such a way.

"How did it feel to finally slap her?" Arnold asked. Helga looked at him.

"I'll let you know when I recover," she answered, causing Arnold to laugh. His laughter eased Helga, but not much. The sudden change of the angle of the ship and the whistling were becoming too much to handle. Helga began to suspect something must be wrong. "There must be someone who knows what is going on around here."

Arnold looked up and saw just the person who would know, just a few doors away from Helga's suite. "Mr. Andrews!" Arnold exclaimed, rushing over to him. Mr. Andrews stopped in his place, now fully dressed and holding a life jacket in his hands as the two blondes came towards him. "Just the man I was hoping to find. Do you know what is going on? We were up on deck earlier and we saw an iceberg passing by. We heard it hit against the ship and we wonder if there has been any damage."

Andrews looked to Helga, who had a panicked look on her face. Andrews remained a calm expression.

"There is nothing to worry about," he told the two young blondes. "There is minor damage to the hull. But because of this, the captain suggests that we have a lifeboat drill. I suggest you dress warmly and bring your lifejackets. Helga, you might want to alert your mother and sister so they can join you on the boat deck."

Helga looked at Andrews carefully. "Mr. Andrews, you would tell me if something serious was occurring, correct? You wouldn't hide anything just to spare my feelings, because you know I can handle it."

"I know very well that you can," Andrews answered. "And I am telling you right now that there is no need to panic. This is all a drill, but I ask that you take part in it."

Helga nodded, appearing to accept what he said. "I better go wake up Phoebe, Mother and Olga," she decided. "It may take some time to get them ready, but I will make sure to be up on the deck soon. Arnold, will you wait for us?" He nodded.

"That's a good girl," Andrews replied as she headed to her room. He breathed a huge sigh that Arnold noticed well.

"So what is really going on?" Arnold asked. He could tell that Andrews was just trying to comfort Helga and hiding the truth. "Don't lie to me."

Andrews closed his eyes. "The ship is sinking. There isn't much time. Perhaps an hour or two. I need you to make sure the Pataki women get on a lifeboat. Don't wait, and don't tell them the truth. I don't want to be responsible for a panic."

Arnold stood there in silence. Was this really happening? This majestic ship was hours away from plummeting down to the bottom of the Atlantic? Arnold looked at Andrews, who had the truth in his eyes, and they displayed disaster in them.

"I'll make sure to get them up deck," Arnold told him.

"Not just on deck, but in a lifeboat," Andrews insisted. "I don't know if Helga told you, but the truth is there aren't enough boats onboard, and the captain insists on women and children first."

Again, Arnold was stunned. He saw his fate being sealed, to be taken by Davy Jones' locker. He remembered how cold it was on deck, and could only imagine how the water must be. But none of that really mattered. What was important was making sure Helga was safe. He nodded to Andrews, who took it as confirmation that Arnold will do what he must to get Helga on a boat. As Andrews departed, Arnold rushed his room to retrieve Gerald and tell him the news.

* * *

"We hit an iceberg?" Sid repeated after Harold told him and Stinky what he witnessed. Sid and Stinky spent their night drinking and gambling, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. "When did this happen?"

"Not that long ago," Harold answered. "Maybe around fifteen, twenty minutes. Haven't you noticed we stopped moving?"

Sid and Stinky tried to sit still, but with the amount of alcohol in their bodies, they continued swaying.

"I reckon we are still moving," Stinky answered. "But it does seem quieter, doesn't it Sid?"

"That's because the engines stopped!" Harold yelled at them. "Now let us go back to the cabin. You two need some sleep."

Begrudgingly, Sid and Stinky obliged, singing drunkenly down the halls. Harold used all his might to hold them up, which proved difficult when he could feel the ship starting to move, but not in the direction it was supposed to.

"Are you sure you're not drunk too, Harold?" Sid asked, chuckling softly. "By the way, what happened between you and Patty?"

Before Harold could answer, a high pitch whistling came from nowhere, hurting all three men's ears.

"What the bloody hell?" Stinky exclaimed.

"Mommy! It hurts!" Harold whined. Somehow, the three men were able to make it back to their room. As they entered, there was a sloshing sound. They looked down to see a large puddle of water on the floor.

"That's not supposed to be there," Sid slurred. Harold knelt down and felt the water, only to pull it back immediately. It was freezing. Harold realized there was now a need for concern. He could hear shouting from the corridor to put on their lifejackets.

"We need to get out of here," he declared. "Grab some warm clothing and the lifejackets."

"Why do we need to do that?" Stinky asked.

"Because we're sinking."

**A/N: I know there is a lot of repetition with some parts, but I wanted to show different viewpoints from the situation. This entire chapter captured around thirty minutes after the collision, which means I'll be doing my best to extend this as much as I can.**


	30. Separation

**A/N: So I'm getting the idea that my previous chapter may have been a bit on the dull side. I mean, yes I finally got Helga to bitch slap Lila, but that happened in the middle of the chapter and there as a lot of repetition in description. I guess the last chapter's purpose was more to set up what is about to occur, including a shocking ending to this one. With the time soon approaching for the lifeboats to be launched, who will get into one safely and who will remain on the ship, in a fight to survive? There's only one way to find out, and asking me is not the answer.**

Monday, April 15, 1912, 12:15 AM

Thirty-five minutes past impact; two hours, five minutes until sinking

As the frigid salt water continued to sneak into the room, Harold hurried to help his two drunken friends put on their warmest clothes and lifejackets. It was a struggle, as Sid and Stinky spent most of their time giggling and trying to take off their clothes to clean up the water. Harold swore they were worse than children. Once Harold was finally able to get them fully dressed, along with himself, he escorted them out into the corridor.

The corridors were crowded with passengers in a mad scramble. It appeared that no one really knew what was going on, except to get away from the water that was quickly approaching. The three friends followed the crowd, hoping it was heading up to the boat decks. However, it wasn't long before they were at a standstill near the foot of the main stairwell. Harold knew the water would continue to flood the hallway, and waiting around wasn't the smartest idea. Grabbing onto Sid and Stinky, Harold led them away to find one of the smaller staircases. They were able to find one and started climbing.

"Where are we going?" Stinky slurred, not remembering what was happening.

"Up to the deck to get on a lifeboat," Harold explained. "Remember all that water in our room? Well, that was because we hit an iceberg and now we're starting to flood."

"But why worry about getting on a lifeboat?" Sid asked. "This ship's unsinkable! It's probably some minor damage that can be fixed easily."

"Not to mention there isn't any lifeboats on our part of the deck. They're all in first and second class," Stinky chimed in.

Harold halted, jerking the other two back. Stinky was right. There were no lifeboats on their deck. They had joked sometimes of how they had gotten the better view because they had no obstructions. They weren't laughing now. There had to be some way to get off the ship and onto a boat.

"Patty," Harold whispered. "Here's the new plan, mates. You two are going to wait in the common room while I go find Patty. She should have a key that could get us to first class."

The three men ran up to C deck, although the two inebriated men took some tumbles. Harold rolled his eyes, surprised that they weren't taking this seriously. When they arrived to their destination, it was clear they weren't the only ones who thought of going there. Luckily, Harold was able to find some seats and sat Sid and Stinky down.

"No matter what, do not leave this area until I return," Harold commanded. "I'll be back soon with Patty and then we will be heading to California. And no matter what, do not go back downstairs under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

"Not even for lemon pudding?" Stinky asked.

"Not even for lemon pudding," Harold repeated. "Stay."

Seeing that Sid and Stinky were remaining in their seats, Harold hurried out to try and find Patty. He roamed the mazelike corridors, twisting and turning to try and find her. He saw many people along the way, speaking in various tongues, but none were his Patty.

Meanwhile, Patty had been searching for Harold. She was given notice to head up to the first class boat deck to take part of the drill. When she asked when the third class passengers would be going to the lifeboats, no one was able to give her a straight answer. Instead of going to the deck where she was ordered, she stopped at C deck to find Harold, Sid, and Stinky. She looked around both the smoking room and the common area, and was unable to find any of them.

She figured that they went downstairs to their room, so she began her descent. She made it to E deck before the hoard of passengers stampeded their way up. Patty was knocked to the side as everyone passed her, no one noticing she was there. That is, no one except one.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eugene asked, extending his hand to help the fallen Patty. She was reluctant to take it, but she didn't want to be stomped on to death, so she placed her hand in his and he lifted her up. "You haven't answered my question."

"I was going downstairs," Patty said as people continue to shove their way up.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Eugene chuckled. "There are parts of G deck that are flooding, including my cabin."

Patty began to worry. Water was now beginning to pour into the ship, refuting Patty's earlier remark. Was Harold down there? Did he get out? Are he and his friends on their way up the stairs as they speak? Or did the water get to him? Was he dead already?

Patty had no time to figure out the answers, for Eugene was pulling her up the stairs. "Now's our chance," he whispered. "The first class passengers are probably on their way to the boat deck. And from the look of things, they won't be returning. We can now grab our loot and then head for the lifeboats."

Patty looked at him as he led her to the blocked entry to the other part of the ship. "But what about the others?" she asked.

"There will be plenty of time for you to be the big heroine and rescue your beloved and his bumbling fools when we're finished," Eugene replied. "Now, open the gate, or I will have to make you by force."

Patty took one more glance down the corridor. Everyone was scrambling around, but none of them were the faces Patty longed to see. With a heavy sigh, she pulled the keys out of her pocket and opened the gate. Eugene smiled and went through, motioning for Patty to come. She dragged herself to the other side, and under Eugene's command, locked the gate behind her.

* * *

"Phoebe!" Helga yelled as she entered her room, causing the little maid to jump from her place. "We need to wake Mother and Olga up and tell them to put on their warmest clothes and a lifejacket. We're having a lifeboat drill."

"Why are we having a drill so late at night?" Phoebe asked. "And they're up already. The whistling woke them. They come in here looking for you. I told them you were just outside trying to find out what is going on and you'll be back soon."

"How did Olga reply about me being out of the suite without her?" Helga asked haughtily.

"She was able to understand and appreciate you finding out information," Phoebe answered. "But honestly Helga, what is going on? Why have the engines stopped and why do we need to go to the boat deck for a drill at midnight?"

Helga sighed. There was no point in lying to her friend. "When Arnold and I were on deck, we hit an iceberg. There was some rumbling and we stopped for a moment, but started back up again. We were on our way back when we came across Lila. Some words were exchanged and I slapped her. Then the boat stopped moving again and we soon found Mr. Andrews, who told us about the drill and that nothing was wrong, so here I am, telling you to help me with Mother and Olga to get them on the boat deck for this ridiculous late night boat drill."

Phoebe stared at the panting Helga. "You slapped Lila Sawyer?!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Really, Phoebe?" Helga asked, in disbelief and still catching her breath. "Out of everything I just said, that is what has your attention?"

"I apologize, but I was wondering when you would finally do it," Phoebe remarked. "As for everything else you just told me, I believe Mr. Andrews may have concealed the truth about the severity of the strike."

"What are you implying Phoebe?" Helga asked, not in the mood for mind games.

"Let me demonstrate." Phoebe took out a spool of thread from her pocket and placed it on the table. Soon enough, the spool began to roll off the table and fell to the floor. "I've had many spools on this table before and none of them fell off the table before. When I felt the ship tilt, I began calculating the speed of which it took the spool to fall off the table. It has increased with every trial."

"And the direction it's leaning towards is the bow," Helga observed, with Phoebe nodding in agreement. "With a slight deviation to port, which is the direction that the ship shifted to earlier."

"I'm afraid we are dealing with something bigger than a little rumble," Phoebe concluded. "I'm afraid to say it, but I believe that the ship is sinking."

Helga sat on her bed. Mr. Andrews lied to her about the severity. "Why wouldn't he tell me?" she wondered. "Why couldn't he just say that we were sinking?"

"Perhaps he didn't want to worry you," Phoebe suggested. "And I'm certain everything will be all right once we are out into the lifeboats.

The lifeboats. Helga's eyes widened when she remembered days ago her tour of the ship. "There are only sixteen, along with four collapsible," Helga recalled. "There are only enough for half the people on board."

"Oh dear," Phoebe muttered, now fully realizing the gravity of the situation. "And knowing the captain, he'll have women and children first."

Helga's lip began to tremble. If it were women and children first, then that means Arnold and Gerald won't be able to get on a lifeboat. Not unless by some miracle. "Do you think they know the truth?" Helga asked her maid.

"I don't know," Phoebe answered. "I don't know what's worse either: knowing or not knowing what is about to happen."

"Right now, we need to get on that boat deck," Helga determined. "And for my personal sanity, we don't tell Mother or Olga the severity. The important thing is to get them on deck and into a boat."

"What about you?" Phoebe asked. "You will be getting on as well, right?"

Helga looked at Phoebe. "Go get dressed," was all she said before leaving the room and attending to her mother and sister.

Olga and Miriam were in the sitting room, though Miriam was doing more slumping than sitting. It was apparent she still hadn't told Olga about her hidden life. When Helga entered the room, Olga stood up, beginning to panic.

"Baby sister, what is happening?" she squealed, hurting Helga's ears. "The engines aren't working and there was that awful sound! And there is so much commotion going on outside!"

"Calm down, would you?" Helga said, trying to maintain her composure. "There was just a little incident in one of the engine rooms. They stopped for the moment to repair the ship. In the meantime, Mr. Andrews told me that the captain has requested a lifeboat drill, so we need to dress in our warmest clothes and bring our lifejackets with us. Phoebe will help once she changes into some warm clothing."

"How are you dressed so quickly, baby sister?" Olga asked, noticing her sister already wearing her warm coat. Helga cursed Olga under her breath for her observation. She knew that telling the truth wasn't an option, so instead she went with what first came to mind.

"I asked Phoebe to dress me before I came to tell you what was happening," Helga lied. It wasn't her most creative excuse, but she knew it would babe accepted by Olga.

"Oh, baby sister, I know you're in a rush to go to the boat deck, but it would have been more polite had you told us this news before getting dressed." Olga disappeared to her room, and Helga looked over at Miriam.

"She's gone now," Helga said. "You can be alive again."

Miriam opened her eyes and gazed at her daughter. "Care to help me get dressed?" Helga nodded and the two went into Miriam's bedroom. Helga quickly pulled out the lifejackets while Miriam started to put on layers. "It seems odd that there would be a drill so late at night."

"Well, men are a peculiar breed," Helga chuckled, helping her mother into her warm wool dress.

"Speaking of men, did you find out anything from Arnold?" Miriam asked, hoping that he finally told her daughter the truth.

"Not really," Helga replied. "He was about to tell me something before…"

"Before what, dear?" Miriam asked. She could see in the mirror how suddenly Helga's expression changed. Something must have happened while they were together. Meanwhile, Helga was trying to figure out what to tell her mother without causing too much worry.

"Before, uh, before the… whistling occurred," Helga blurted out. "He was trying to say something, but the whistling was so loud that I couldn't hear him over the noise. And then we ran into Mr. Andrews who told me there was nothing to worry about."

Miriam eyed her daughter. She could tell Helga was lying about something, but of what exactly, she wasn't sure. Miriam figured that Helga wasn't saying what for a reason, so she decided not to push the matter.

"Mama, come here!" Olga cried out. Both Miriam and Helga hurried to find Olga by the door in the sitting room entrance. On the other side of the entryway were Arnold and Gerald, both dressed and wearing their lifejackets. "He's not supposed to be around here. Papa has spoken against him being near us. Speaking of Papa, where is he? Why is he out so late?"

"He's probably still in the smoking room, squandering away what little inheritance I have," Helga muttered.

"Well, he needs to know what is going on," Olga decided. "I'm going to tell him."

"Olga, dear," Miriam slurred. "Helga told us we're on deck or something for the lifeboats. It is captain's orders."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Olga said, "but Papa needs to know that a business partner is refusing to respect his wishes. Also he needs to change into his clothes so he can join us on deck." Before anyone could protest, Olga was already rushing out the door and heading to the next level. Arnold and Gerald looked into the room to see the remaining women inside.

"Do you still wish for us to escort you up?" Arnold asked.

"Absolutely," Helga replied without missing a beat. She dragged Miriam to the door, followed closely by Phoebe, who was prepared to head upstairs. When all the women were out, Phoebe locked the door behind them and walked with Gerald a few feet behind the employers.

"Do you know what is really going on?" Phoebe asked Gerald. Gerald's face went grim.

"Arnold told me," he replied. "And he was told by Mr. Andrews after Helga went to retrieve you and her family. I should have known you would have figured out. Does Helga know?"

"She does," Phoebe replied. "But she doesn't know that Arnold knows. And I regret informing her of the situation."

"Why do you say that?" Gerald asked as they headed upstairs.

"Because I fear she won't get on a lifeboat, in fear of never getting the chance to see him again," Phoebe replied. "What would you want me to do?"

"Without a doubt, get on the boat," Gerald said immediately. "For if somehow I make it out and you don't because you didn't get on, I'll never live with myself. And I know you can do great things if you are still alive."

Phoebe smiled softly at Gerald, happy to know how much he appreciated her intelligence. Not caring what others would say, since this may be their last night together, she grabbed his hand and the two walked up together.

* * *

"This is preposterous," Rhonda remarked as Nadine helped her dress into her warmest clothes. Nadine had just returned from unsuccessfully wetting a cloth to wipe the tea stained carpet and informed Rhonda of the boat drill that was occurring. "There should be a law against having such drills in the middle of the night. I swear, when we get to New York, I'm writing an official complaint with the White Star Line about this atrocity."

"Yes, miss," Nadine replied. She was able to convince Rhonda to wear her coat, but Rhonda was persistent in not wearing one of her wool dresses, since they were no longer in fashion. For Rhonda, style trumped comfort any day, even if that day was below freezing. "It is quite inconvenient. Many of the passengers that were out in the corridors are unhappy with it as well."

"Good!" Rhonda exclaimed. "Then perhaps I can get all of them together when this is finished and form a petition requiring all, if any, lifeboat drills to occur during the day. And why do we need to have a drill on an unsinkable ship? The very idea baffles me."

"That is a tricky question, miss," Nadine replied, placing the coat on her. "All you need is the lifejacket and you will be ready to go upstairs."

"Ugh," Rhonda scoffed when she looked at the jacket. "It's absolutely dreadful. It matches with nothing I own. I shan't wear it."

"But miss, it's the captain's orders to wear it," Nadine insisted, pushing it towards Rhonda.

"I don't care if the pope decrees it, I'm not wearing it," Rhonda commanded, pushing it back. "And I'm not leaving the room until Curly comes back. He told us to wait until he returns, and I would like to know what is going on around here."

Rhonda sat in her chair, refusing to budge. Nadine sighed and sat next to her. There was no point in getting Rhonda to do something once she set her mind to it. In silence the two waited until finally there was a knock. Nadine answered it and allowed Curly to enter.

"Why haven't you gone to the boat deck?" he asked. "And Nadine, why are you still in your robe? That's not going to keep you warm in this freezing air."

"I was waiting for you," Rhonda explained. "Were you able to find anything?"

"We were only told to get all the passengers up on the boat decks and lock the doors to prevent people from coming back down," Curly replied. "There's a special lock at the top that can only be secured by the crew."

"So it appears that I will be going on the deck," Rhonda muttered, then pointed to the lifejacket in Nadine's hands. "But do I have to wear this? It is not the most fashionable item of clothing and it clashes my outfit."

"And everyone will be wearing them," Curly mentioned. "It's all part of the drill. You just need to wear it for a short while, and when you come back on board, you can take it off and never have to wear it again."

"Do you promise?" Rhonda asked.

"I swear on my life," Curly replied. "Now you need to get up there so I can lock this room. Nadine, I believe your room is still open, but it won't be for long. Dress quickly and if anyone tries to lock it, quickly bang on the door so they can let you out. I will escort Miss Lloyd to the lounge for the time being, since the deck crew are not quite ready for passengers to come out to be put into the boats."

"Thank you," Nadine said. She quickly hurried down the corridor until she reached her room. An officer was just about to lock it when Nadine arrived.

"Is this your room?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Nadine replied. "I was helping my mistress get ready and in that time, I've neglected to prepare myself."

The steward nodded. "You have five minutes. If you aren't ready by then, I'm afraid I'll have to escort you out the room, whether or not you're finished."

Nadine thanked the steward and quickly got dressed. The steward was about to knock on the door before Nadine reappeared, lifejacket in hand. The steward told her which way to go to head upstairs. Nadine was on her way before she was stopped by someone she didn't wish to see.

"Nadine!" Lila exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in an oh so long time. How are you?"

Nadine looked at Lila in disbelief. Was she kidding? Nadine had just saw her in church that morning, and when she helped her prepare for bed the night before. How was one day an 'oh so long time?'

"Excuse me, but I need to head to the boat deck," Nadine replied. "Miss Lloyd is expecting me once I had finished getting dressed."

"But I'm ever so certain she wouldn't mind if you were to help me with one small thing," Lila replied. "With all of this, I forgot to hide the few jewels I own in case someone tried to break in and steal them."

"But, the stewards have a special lock on the doors only they can lock and unlock," Nadine replied. "Your jewels should be fine as long as the door is locked."

Lila paused for a moment. "But some of the stewards could be thieves. Some of them look oh so suspicious, and Olga Pataki was telling me the other night, her precious tiara was found in not the exact place it was before she went to dinner that night."

"It could have been someone from her family," Nadine suggested.

"Either way, I do not want to take a chance. It's just this one little thing for me. Besides, you owe me for opening your mouth about my past."

Nadine's face went a little green. How did Lila figure it out? "How do you know it was me?" she asked softly.

"I'm not going to reveal my informant," Lila answered. "All you need to do is hide my jewels for me and I will forget the entire thing. I'll even keep lookout so you won't get locked inside. So what do you have to say?"

Nadine bit her bottom lip. She knew that Lila didn't mean to let the whole thing be forgotten if she did it, but it would probably be more tolerable than if she didn't. She nodded her head and followed Lila to her room. "Where do you want me to hide them?"

"Wherever you think it will be the least chance of a thief finding them," Lila answered. "And do ever so try to be quick about it. We do not want to miss the boat drill."

Nadine nodded and went inside while Lila closed the door to prevent anyone from watching, though the deck was practically deserted.

"Excuse me miss, but is this room empty?" a steward asked. "If so, then I will have to ask that you leave and head up to fetch a lifeboat."

Lila smiled sweetly. "It is empty," she replied softly. "And when you lock it, do you ever so mind leading me to the boat deck? I want to make sure I get a good seat."

"Of course miss," the steward answered. He locked the door in the upper corner and led Lila to the deck, her sweet smile turning devilish as she went upstairs.

Nadine heard a soft voices as she was in the middle of hiding. She figured Lila was just telling someone that she was inside and to wait. But soon came a soft click that caused Nadine to panic. She hurried over to the door and tried to jiggle the handle, but it wouldn't open. Furiously she knocked on the door. "Miss Sawyer? Hello? Is anyone there?"

Nadine continued to knock and shout, but the corridor was completely deserted. She was alone.

**A/N: It certainly has been awhile, especially if you're used to me updating within 48 hours. It was a combination of work, fatigue, and working on other things, so I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. But for now, a little myth debunking. James Cameron got it wrong again when it appeared that the third class was being locked to prevent them from going up. The only gates that were used were to prevent third class from going into the upper class areas in accordance with American immigration laws. And conveniently, all the lifeboats were on the first and second class decks. This, along with confusion, language barriers, and absolute refusal to leave belongings behind, are the reasons why so few third class passengers survived.**


	31. Getting to the Lifeboats

**A/N: So it's about an hour after the sinking, and the lifeboats will begin to board in a few minutes. Now we begin to see who will be saved and whose fate will be determined in the next couple of hours. And just because they make it on a lifeboat doesn't mean they'll make it when the **_**Carpathia**_** arrives.**

Monday April 15, 1912; 12:30 AM;

Fifty Minutes since Collision; One Hour, Fifty Minutes until Sinking

Most of the first class passengers were waiting inside the upper decks as the crew prepared the lifeboats for launch. Because of the loud noises of the shouts and whistles and freezing cold, most of the passengers remained inside. Majority congregated around the Grand Staircase as the band played on, trying to keep spirits up. Very few knew what exactly was happening, so everyone else appeared to be either confused or disgruntled. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd fell into the latter category.

"They hurry us up here and now we're just standing around," she huffed as she and Curly walked around the top of the staircase. "By thje way everyone was reacting, you'd think they were ready by the time we got up here to have us get on the boats."

"I'm sure it won't be much longer before we need to go out," Curly assured. "And we best head to the Lounge. That is where I told Nadine to meet you."

"If you insist," Rhonda replied and the two headed in that direction. "I hope she doesn't take too long to get dressed. I was hoping for a cup of tea before having to go outside. And why did Captain Smith insist on having this drill when it is so cold out? You would think a man of his prestige would know better than to have women and children suffer in such climate."

Curly said nothing, but only escorted Rhonda into the Lounge and retrieved some tea for her himself. When he returned, a certain maid was still missing from the room.

"Here you go," he said as he offered the tea to Rhonda. "I'm going to look around outside and see if I can find Nadine. There is the possibility she misheard me and went somewhere else to meet us. I ask that you stay here until I get back, just in case she also comes here."

"Well, I'm certainly not going outside right now," Rhonda scoffed, swirling her tea with her spoon. "I'm sure I can wait awhile until going on one of the boats. From the look of things outside, they aren't in too much of a hurry. If she does get back, do you want us to just get on a lifeboat of you don't return?"

"I would prefer you wait so I know you made it on safely," Curly stated. "However, if you must get on, have one of the crew members tell me along with the boat number so I know when you come back on."

"Of course I can do that," Rhonda replied, then lowered her voice so only Curly can hear. "And when I do come back on board, perhaps you can help warm me up after being stuck in that freezing cold ocean."

Curly gave her a wink and left the Lounge to head outside. The clamor and chaos of the boat crew rang in his ears as he continued his search for the missing maid. There weren't too many passengers on deck, so he could easily see that Nadine wasn't outside. So Curly went back inside and started looking in other public areas. He was stopped multiple times along the way, with passengers asking what was going on. Curly would tell him that he was unsure but will find out for them, though it wasn't his intention to find that information just yet. It was important to find Nadine first.

As he searched the entire upper deck with no success, Curly figured she must still be getting dressed. He decided to head downstairs to investigate. As he was about to head down, he could hear one of the officers alerting the passengers that the lifeboats were ready for boarding and they would take women and children first. Curly could see a small group of people start to go outside, while many others were reluctant to leave their spots.

Shrugging, Curly continued down to B deck. His mind was entirely focused on finding Nadine that he almost ran into a passenger.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss," Curly said to the passenger. "I did not mean to almost run into you. Are you all right?"

"I'm ever so certain that I am just fine," the female passenger replied, smiling sweetly at Curly. Curly smiled back at her.

"Pardon my questioning, but did you happen to see a maid with blonde hair on your way up?" Curly asked. "I have a passenger who is looking for her."

The passenger shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm oh so certain that I have not seen a maid since I left my room."

Curly nodded. "Thank you. They're getting ready to board the lifeboats now. I just heard one of the officers tell the passengers upstairs."

"Thank you ever so much," the passenger replied and headed upstairs. Curly continued his way down and went straight to Nadine's room. He knocked on the door but there was no reply. Just to be certain, Curly unlocked her door. Sure enough, she wasn't there.

"Nadine!" he yelled down the corridor. There was no answer in the abandoned hallway. Curly sighed. She had to be somewhere. It wasn't as if she had just disappeared. Determined to find her, Curly continued down the vacant corridors, shouting her name.

Meanwhile, Nadine was still stuck in Lila's cabin. She had been shouting and knocking for several minutes but was unsuccessful in getting attention. Nadine bit her lip as she sat on Lila's bed. She breathed slowly, reminding herself that this was only a drill. This was Lila's way of just scaring her because Nadine told everyone about her past. When the drill was over, the stewards would open the doors and she would be free. Everything was going to be all right…

* * *

Harold had run all over of what remains of the third class area. He had gone down to as far as the water level. We wanted to search the areas that were starting to flood, but the water was unbearable agama st it pierced against his ankles. He continued going upwards, searching every nook and cranny for Patty. When he couldn't find her in the lower decks, he decided it was best for him to return upstairs and collect Sid and Stinky. Harold figured it was the best if all of them tried to get up to the boat deck somehow, and that they would do it together.

Using what energy he had left, Harold hurried back to the common room where he placed Sid and Stinky. He was quickly disappointed when the area where he placed them were not occupied by an immigrant family. Frantically Harold searched the common room, but couldn't find them. He then went over to the smoking room, figuring they must have gotten a pint and wanted to play some more cards. Again, they were nowhere in sight.

Harold groaned in frustration. He gave them one instruction and they couldn't listen. Time was starting to run out and he didn't have time to go looking for them again. Instead, he went up to the upper deck in hopes of finding a way to get to a boat.

* * *

The first class stateroom areas were a ghost town, which was perfect for Eugene and Patty to sneak into the rooms. They began on D deck, away from the action of the passengers upstairs. They didn't get to do much exploring in this part of the ship since it was so close to the dining saloon. Patty pulled out her key and unlocked the doors as they both entered and started collecting money and valuables. Eugene hurried and tried to put as much as he had into his sack while Patty collected very little.

Her mind was back in third class, wondering about Harold. The longer she and Eugene stayed in the rooms, the guiltier she became of leaving Harold behind, along with Sid and Stinky. She also remembered Eugene telling her about the water. If the ship really is sinking, then there wasn't much time left before they would all be lost at the bottom of the ocean. Patty knew they had to at least have a fighting chance.

"I think we gathered enough," Patty said, eyeing the door.

"Nonsense!" Eugene exclaimed. "We had just begun. Besides, don't you want to get your diamond tiara we found the other night?"

"I would rather get off this ship before being engulfed by Poseidon," Patty remarked. "Or else this would be all for naught."

Eugene looked at her closely. "That isn't it," he said. "This is about that idiot and his two friends. You want to make sure they're safe. Well, let me tell you this: men like them will do nothing but disappoint. I know, I've dealt with the likes of them before."

"You don't know them," Patty snapped. "They're good people. Granted they may not be the brightest, but they have dreams of entertaining people."

"You mean swindling money from others," Eugene interjected. "They're no better than you or me. We just happen to be doing so in the shadows while they steal from people from right under their noses."

"That's not true," Patty said. "Passengers freely gave their money to them because they enjoyed what they did. They brought people laughter."

"And people can freely give their money to someone who may have medicine, but that doesn't mean that it is real," Eugene pointed out. "It could be nothing but sugar water. It's all a façade. I don't have a problem with their methods, but don't think of putting them on a pedestal when they are nothing more than common thieves too."

Patty began to feel herself getting angry. She had enough of Eugene twisting the situation to make Harold, Sid and Stinky look to be dishonorable.

"I've had enough," she declared as she tossed her bag and the key to the rooms to Eugene. "You're on your own now. I got you up here and that's all you need. I'm done with you and you trying to make me someone I'm not. You got me out of a bad situation, but I've repaid my debt for that. I owe you nothing more."

Eugene stared at her as she headed towards the door. "Then go," he replied. "Try to go find lover boy and his band of morons. I don't need you anymore. You were fun while it lasted, but know that he will not treat you any different than any man has before."

Patty looked back and glared at him. "He already has," she replied. She left the room and headed back to third class. As she passed the Grand Staircase, she looked down to see the water was already at the base. Worried that time was starting to run out, Patty quickly went up another deck and down the corridors to the third class entrance. She quickly opened the gate and went through, going straight towards the common room. It took her no time to spot two familiar faces.

"Sid! Stinky!" Patty cried out, catching their attention. "Where's Harold?"

"Looking for you," Sid said. "He's asked us to wait here until he came back. That's been about forty minutes ago."

Patty bit her bottom lip. He could be anywhere. "There isn't much time left," she warned. "The water is rising quickly and we need to get to the lifeboats."

"I reckon it's important we get you on one, Miss Patty," Stinky chimed in. "Harold would want to make sure you are safe."

"But we can't leave without him," Patty argued. "What would he think if he came back and you two were missing?"

"Hopefully he will come join us on deck," Sid countered. "But as you said, we need to have a chance to make it, especially you. So lead the way to the boats. When we see Harold again, we will let him know you are safe."

Noticing she was outnumbered, Patty began to lead them to the first class area and up to the boat deck. Little did they know that if they had stayed put for a few minutes longer, Harold would have come back and found them all together.

* * *

"I still say we wait until your father and sister come and join us," Miriam pleaded with her daughter. The two of them, along with Arnold, Gerald, and Phoebe were standing outside on the port side of the ship. Three boats had already been launched on the starboard side. Miriam refused to get on a boat without Bob and Olga, and Helga reluctantly obliged to her mother's wishes. But as the boats start to disappear into the black ocean, Helga was growing weary that her mother may not make it on a boat in time. Nor was she the only one.

Arnold had protested since the beginning and begged for the women to get on the first boat, knowing well what was happening. Helga convinced him that since it was only a drill (since neither of them knew that the other blonde knows) that they didn't have to rush to the first boat, but could wait their turn. Phoebe and Gerald looked on as their employers bicker about getting on the boats. Phoebe was wanting to interject and tell them the truth, but Gerald held her back. He insisted that they had to do this themselves, and if this didn't get them to admit the truth, then there was nothing that ever could.

"Mother, I'm sure that Olga and Father will get on another boat," Helga insisted. "If it will make you feel better, I will stay behind and find them while you and Phoebe get on this boat. When I find them, I'll make sure we will get on another one."

"Or you can get on this one with your mother and I can look for them," Arnold suggested. "I believe your mother needs you with her more than staying on the ship and missing a lifeboat."

"Who cares if I miss a lifeboat?" Helga questioned, crossing her arms. "This is nothing but a drill, correct? And Mother will be fine with Phoebe keeping her company. She doesn't need me with her. But it's most important she gets on it. Phoebe, you have two minutes before you need to get on this boat with Mother."

"Yes, miss," Phoebe replied. As Helga forced Miriam onto the boat, Phoebe looked to Gerald. "Will you try to get on one of the boats?" she asked.

"I will do what I can, but I won't take a spot that belongs to a woman or child," Gerald said. "Besides, I know Arnold won't allow me to do that. But he did teach me how to swim, just in case it comes to that, but I will try to get on one of the boats."

Phoebe nodded as she held back tears. She knew well enough that this could be the last time she would ever Gerald, and she didn't want his last image of her to be crying. "I love you," she whispered. "Come back to me."

Gerald kissed her softly. "I love you too," he replied. "And I will come back. You just need to have some faith and trust."

"Unfortunately I left the pixie dust back in my room," Phoebe chuckled softly. They embraced each other tightly one final time before Phoebe hopped on the small boat. Inside already was Miriam, who was being prevented from leaving. Somehow Helga managed to get her on. Helga stepped back from the lifeboat and stood next to a curious and frustrated Arnold.

"Why did you give Phoebe some time before boarding?" he asked. Helga looked at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, wondering why he was concerned about that.

"Just now, instead of having Phoebe help you with your mother, you told her she had two minutes. Why did you give her that time?"

"I thought she would like to spend some time alone time with Gerald," she said slowly. "What does it matter to you?"

"It matters greatly because I think you know the truth of what is happening," Arnold replied, starting to get angry. "If this were all a drill like you keep claiming, then you wouldn't worry about her having some alone time with Gerald. You know that the ship is sinking, don't you?"

Helga looked at him shocked. "You knew and you didn't tell me? Why did you keep that from me, especially after I told Mr. Andrews not to hide it from me?"

"I didn't want you to panic!" Arnold exclaimed. "And what does that matter since you already knew? Why were you wanting to stay behind?"

"To find Father and Olga?" Helga chuckled nervously. Arnold gave her a look, knowing full well that she was lying.

"Seriously, Helga?" he asked. "That's the story you chose to tell? No one would believe that, especially not me. You know what? It doesn't matter the reason. What does matter is that you are getting on that lifeboat, so help me God."

Arnold began leading Helga to the boat, who resisted like a lamb being led to the slaughter. "Why do you care if I get on or not?" she asked. "It doesn't appear to be your concern if I should live or not."

"But it is," Arnold replied, continuing to push her to the tiny boat. "Because if something were to happen to you and I didn't help prevent it, I would be stuck with a guilty conscience until the end."

"I see," Helga muttered. "This is you just being the gentleman that you are."

"No, this is about making sure the woman I love isn't condemned to death before her time." Helga stopped dead in her tracks. Her weight became so heavy that Arnold was unable to move her. He looked at Helga, whose eyes were the widest he had ever seen. "What is it?"

"What did you just say to me?" she asked softy. Arnold stared at her confused, trying to remember what words he had spoken. "You said you love me?"

Arnold's jaw relaxed open. He didn't realize that those words escaped his lips. It wasn't how he planned on telling her, but there was no going back on them. "Yes," he admitted. "Because I do. Helga, I've loved you from the moment we met two years ago. And looking back, my biggest regret was not telling you sooner. But I would have regretted more had I allowed you to stay on this ship, knowing that there was a strong chance you wouldn't survive. So yes, I'm being a gentleman, but because not for the sake of being one, but rather knowing that you're safe. So if this day is to be my last, then grant me the wish of knowing that you are at least safe and won't suffer the same fate."

Helga stood there in complete shock. It was so much to take it, but there wasn't much time to process everything. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a soft, yet passionate kiss.

"I love you, too," Helga whispered to him. "I wanted to stay on because of you. I can't imagine a life without you."

"I know you will make it, regardless of the outcome," Arnold assured her. "You are the strongest woman I know. I know you can survive without me."

Helga closed her eyes, trying to hide the pain from imagining Arnold not there the next day. She couldn't imagine her life without him, and she had hoped she would never be in this position.

"Are there any more women or children coming on?" one of the officers asked. Helga looked at Arnold, whose face was illuminated with the white light from a rocket that was launched. His eyes were pleading with her to go.

"I refuse to say goodbye," she said. "But I respect your wishes, for I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I disappointed you at the end." With a heavy sigh, she gave him one last kiss before tearing herself away from him and on the boat.

When she climbed on, she sat next to her mother and Phoebe, who held onto her tightly near the aft of the boat. Helga kept her eyes on Arnold. As the boat began to descend, Arnold and Gerald walked to the edge and watched their loved ones. They kept their eyes locked with their respective woman's eyes until they disappeared into the darkness of the Atlantic, to never return to Titanic again.

**A/N: Yes, it finally happened! After chapter after chapter of disappointments and close calls, they finally admitted their love for one another. But remember, just because they did admit it, it doesn't mean this is absolutely the end. They could both still survive, or only one, or they could both die. Like I said earlier, just because they made it on a lifeboat doesn't mean they make it through the night, so at this point they are all still fair game.**

**Guessing game! What lifeboat number are Helga, Phoebe, and Miriam on? No looking it up, because that's no fun. The answer will be announced the next chapter. **


	32. The Final Hour

**A/N: Sorry this update was delayed. It was my birthday yesterday and I was spending it with family. As to the answer to the question I asked last time, the answer is lifeboat 8. We now have about an hour left before the Titanic disappears beneath the waves forever and majority of our characters are still on board.**

**To the guest who commented about the "faith, trust, and pixie dust" quote: I do try to be as historically accurate as possible in my stories. With using this particular quote, the original version did appear in the novel "Peter Pan," which was published about six months before Titanic's maiden voyage. In the novel, the original quote is "All the world is made of faith, trust, and pixie dust." However, I did use the modified version that we've all come to know to add to Phoebe and Gerald's goodbyes and make it their thing. I did make sure that the origin came from the same time period or earlier, but thank you for pointing it out.**

Monday April 15, 1912, 1:15 AM

One Hour, Thirty-five Minutes since Collision; One Hour, Five Minutes until Sinking

As the lifeboat rowed away from the ship, Helga could feel the tears fall from her eyes. She didn't want to leave Arnold, but it was what he wished. Normally she would protest, but he finally gave her the one thing she longed from him. He loved her, and knowing that love gave her the strength to leave the ship, not matter how difficult it was. She reached into her pocket and felt the small trinket inside. It was the small picture frame that held his picture. She knew as long as she held onto it, he would always be with her.

"My god," Helga heard Miriam whisper. Helga looked to where Miriam was looking and had her own look of horror on her face. It was clear that the ship was sinking. The bow of the ship was sinking further into the water. It was amazing how quickly it was sinking, and Helga feared there wasn't much time left.

"Phoebe," Helga whispered. "How much longer do you suspect they have?"

"A lot less than I originally predicted," Phoebe replied, just as shocked by the progress of destruction. "It'll be a miracle if it makes it another forty-five minutes."

"Less than an hour," Helga replied. "Less than an hour before they're all gone. Before Arnold is gone. Please let him and Gerald make it somehow."

"Keep rowing!" one of the crew members yelled. "We need to get as far away as we can so we don't get swamped."

"Do you think we'll go back to help those who end up in the water?" Helga asked Miriam and Phoebe as they helped row away from the ship and its impending doom. "I mean, we have room to have people come in."

"We won't be able to save all of them," Phoebe reminded Helga. "And there would be a chance that we would perish should we try to help."

"I agree with Phoebe," Miriam replied. "As much as I want to help others and make sure your father and sister are not among the people, it won't save us."

"I don't believe either one of you," Helga replied, shocked from what she was hearing. "You're willing to sacrifice their lives in order to preserve your own?"

"Helga," Phoebe began, "I know you want to go back and try to save Arnold, but try to understand from where your mother and I are coming. We can end up doing more damage than good if we go back. We could be swamped easily by the people in the ocean who would try to get on our boat. We could end up dying from exposure of the water, and how would you think Arnold would feel about that? Especially if he somehow survives all of this? How do you think he would feel should he get on whatever boat comes and rescues us and he finds out you're not on it? He would be heartbroken and disappointed that you didn't make sure you survived."

Helga glared at Phoebe. She knew well that Arnold would not try to save his life if it meant taking the spot of a woman or child. Deep in her heart, she knew that Arnold's chances of survival were minimal at best, so he wouldn't mind if she were to meet up with him again in the next life. As Helga was about to protest, she thought of what might happen if she did go against his wishes and ended up dying. Would Arnold be able to forgive her in the next life if both of their lives ended that night? Or would he be upset that she didn't do as he asked her. Helga cursed to herself for promising Arnold to keep safe, especially now that it meant she couldn't afford to help him. She never replied to Phoebe, but rather watched the ship as the Atlantic continued to take it for itself.

* * *

Arnold watched from the boat deck as the lifeboat continued to row away. He could no longer see Helga's face, but he felt a sense of reprieve knowing that she was safe and away from the fate he was about to face. About a hundred feet down, the officers were loading the next boat.

"She went in easily enough," Gerald said to Arnold. "Although I must admit I'm surprised Mrs. Strauss refused to go into the boat."

Arnold looked over to see the elderly couple holding onto each other tight. Mr. Strauss tried to convince her wife to go on the boat, but she was determined to stay with her husband until the end.

"I thought Helga would be more like that," Arnold said, motioning to Mrs. Strauss. "I truly thought she would have thrown a fit when I demanded her to go into the boat. Instead, she was so obedient."

Gerald looked over at Arnold. "It sounds to me that you are a bit disappointed she didn't argue more. It's as if you wanted her to convince you to stay on here."

Arnold sighed. "There's a part of me that wished she stayed," Arnold admitted. "There's a romance to dying with the one you love. However, I couldn't ask her to stay. She needs to live. The world needs someone like her to tear down walls and make a difference."

"Same with Phoebe," Gerald agreed. "Those two could tackle the world together with their intelligence and rebellious nature. I have to say I'm glad she didn't protest to stay on or begged me to come on with her. Then again, she thinks more logically. But now the next question for us: are we going to try and find a boat?"

Arnold was quiet for a moment. There was a part of him that wanted to get on one so he and Helga could have the chance of having a life together, along with Phoebe and Gerald. But he couldn't take the place of one who really needs the place. He was athletic and knew how to swim, but he was sure there were others who didn't know how to and would have a difficult time in the water.

"We will help women and children get into the boats," Arnold instructed. "I refuse to take a spot that belongs to someone else. I will go down like a gentleman and not as a coward. If you want to get on a boat, that is your choice. I will not think low of you should you decide to save yourself."

Gerald didn't move a muscle. "My duty is to you," he replied. "I go where you go and I refuse to leave your side."

Arnold smiled at his valet. He should have known better than to even dare tell Gerald to leave. After all, he was best known for his loyalty. "Well then," he said, "I guess now would be a good time to get a drink, wouldn't you say?"

Gerald chuckled softly. "I say that sounds splendid right now."

The two men left the boat deck and went inside. More of the crowds were starting to make their way outside and onto a lifeboat. Most of the people still inside were men who had just bid farewell to their wives and family, but there were some women who were still on.

"Isn't that Miss Lloyd over there in the Lounge?" Gerald asked, motioning to his right. Arnold looked over and indeed, it was Rhonda. She was sitting at one of the tables, drinking tea. Arnold was surprised that she was still onboard. He figured she would have gotten on a lifeboat earlier, but she probably didn't know what was happening. He motioned to Gerald to follow him.

"Rhonda!" Arnold called as he entered the Lounge. Rhonda looked up from her tea and smiled at the familiar face.

"Arnold, darling!" Rhonda exclaimed. "Can you believe all this? It is utterly chaotic. Are you searching for Helga? Because I haven't seen her all evening, though I did see her sister, Olga, walking around earlier in search of the smoking room."

"That's not why I'm here," Arnold replied, sitting next to her. "Helga went on a lifeboat with her mother and maid. I came to inquire why you aren't on a lifeboat. Don't you know what is happening?"

"Well of course I know what is happening!" Rhonda scoffed, offended by the question. "Captain Smith has lost his mind and has required for us to participate in a moonlight lifeboat drill. And the reason I'm not on a boat is because I'm waiting for Nadine to arrive. I've had one of the stewards go and fetch her, but he has been gone for quite some time. Have you seen either of them? The steward is Thaddeus Gammelthorpe."

"I haven't," Arnold said, rubbing his eyes. He didn't want to have to worry Rhonda, but she needed to know the truth or else she would never leave the ship. "But you need to get on a boat now. This isn't just a drill. Titanic is actually sinking. We hit an iceberg a little under two hours ago. There isn't much time before we will be under the Atlantic."

Rhonda placed her teacup on the table and gazed at Arnold with bewilderment. "That can't be," she spoke softly. "This ship is unsinkable, Arnold. There is no way that we are sinking. And I'm not getting on a boat without Nadine. She needs to be here."

Arnold looked at the table. Of course Rhonda was being stubborn. Sometimes Arnold swore she was more stubborn than Helga. He looked at the teacup she placed down and noticed something peculiar about it. "I think there may be something you want to see. Look at your cup."

Rhonda rolled her eyes and looked down. Her eyes widened as she discovered that the tea was not sitting evenly in the cup, but rather one side was nearly filled to the brim while the other side was almost empty.

"How is this happening?" she asked, looking at Arnold aghast.

"The ship is at an angle," Arnold explained. "From the looks of it, we are sinking from the bow. This is why you need to get on a boat and quickly. There can't be much time left and who knows how long there is until all the boats are gone."

Rhonda shook her head. "Not without Nadine," she insisted. "I need to know she is safe. She helped me with the situation with Lila, and I owe her greatly. There must be something that can be done."

"Right now, the best thing that can be done is getting you on a boat. Gerald and I can search areas to try and find her, and we will make sure that she gets on a boat as well. But I need to make sure that you are safe as well. You've helped me and Helga so much on this trip, and there isn't enough I can do to repay you. But please allow me to start by getting you on a lifeboat. After I know you are safe, I will hurry and find her. It will be my duty to make sure she is on a boat as well."

Rhonda remained quiet as Arnold spoke. She didn't want to go without her maid, and she wanted to see Curly once more, but there was very little time left, and he had already given her permission to board one should the time come.

"I will go with you," she conceded, "but I want to know something first. Did you finally tell Helga?"

Arnold nodded. "Before she got on one," he explained. "I'm certain she will give you the details once you see each other again. But in order for that to happen, I need you to follow me to the boat deck. Gerald will begin the search, won't you Gerald?"

"Yes, sir," Gerald replied. He bowed slightly and left the Lounge, in search of Nadine. Arnold and Rhonda headed to the boat deck immediately and went to one of the lifeboats being boarded. This time, Arnold went on the starboard side. He guided Rhonda to the front.

"Excuse me, but what boat is this?" Rhonda asked one of the crew.

"Number nine," he replied. Rhonda looked to Arnold.

"If you find Nadine, would you tell her that is the boat I'm on? So she could find me? And would you tell Thaddeus I thank him for all he has done for me, and should he make it, I have what he deserves?"

"Of course, Rhonda," Arnold replied. Instantly Rhonda wrapped around him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered as Arnold wrapped his arms around her as well. "And good luck to you. I hope you to see you again soon."

"As do I," Arnold answered back, breaking the embrace. "But if we don't, look out for Helga for me."

"I promise to do so no matter the outcome," Rhonda said before heading into the lifeboat. "Madam Aubart! How lovely to see you!" Arnold shook his head, chuckling softly as Rhonda chatted with Guggenheim's mistress as their boat went down. Once it made it safely into the water, Arnold turned and went to find Nadine, but not before seeing a face he was not expecting.

* * *

"We're almost there, Miss Patty?" Stinky asked as he and Sid followed Patty up the staircase to the boat deck.

"Just one more deck," Patty assured as they continued their climb. "Hopefully there will be some more boats left by the time we get there, though I do wish that we would have waited for Harold."

"He would want you on a boat," Sid told her. "If he were with us, he would have made sure we were on our way right now. He'll thank us for it later."

Patty sighed as they made their way to the boat deck. She wanted nothing more than to see Harold one more time, even if it was to make sure that she was on a boat. They made their way onto the crowded boat deck and found them on the port side. They soon came across a boat that was loading passengers. There appeared to be many women that Sid and Stinky recognized from third class. There must have been another opening for third class to make it to the boats. They also noticed that the men were being kept back from the boat, thereby foiling their plan for safety. There still had to be a way.

"I see Violet," Patty said, looking at the passengers on the lifeboat. She then turned to her two helpers "At least I won't be alone, seeing that you two won't be allowed. Make sure to find Harold. And when you do, tell him I love him."

"We will," Sid said. "And just out of curiosity, did you have an answer to what you would have done about your relationship?"

Patty froze for a moment. She didn't really think of what she would do since she was stuck taking loot from the cabins from first class. Before she could answer, one of the crew members grabbed her and placed her on the boat and pushed Sid and Stinky back. Patty was sent on the far side of the boat so they couldn't speak to her. As the boat was being lowered, Sid and Stinky held back.

"Where is she?" they heard a voice ask. They turned to find Harold was rushing towards them. "Where's Patty?"

Unable to speak since they were confused of how he got up there, both Sid and Stinky pointed to the lowering lifeboat. Harold hurried to the railing and called for Patty once again. Patty looked up and smiled when she saw Harold. That was when she knew what she wanted.

"I'll see you in California!" she exclaimed as the boat hit the water. Harold smiled widely as she accepted his offer, and knew he had to make it. He turned back to his friends, still wearing the grin on his face.

"How did you get up here?" Sid asked. "Did you find the passage opening on C deck?"

"No, there was a gate that was opened on the boat deck," Harold explained. "I was able to find my way up. Now we need to find a boat."

"They're having women and children first," Stinky replied, rubbing his arm. "No one seems to be taking men on."

"There has to be someone," Harold insisted. "We just need to find that person. Now let's go find him so we can get on a boat, so we can get on another boat, so we can get on a train and make our new lives in California. With Patty."

Sid and Stinky nodded and made their way around the deck. Many of the boats were only allowing women and children, and they were growing restless in their attempts to get on a boat. They made a quick stop by the railing near the bow and watched as the water crept closer to the top of the ship.

"Now, isn't that a sight?" Sid reflected. "I hate to be negative, but I don't think we are going to make it off this ship on a boat."

"Then what do you reckon we do?" Stinky asked, getting nervous of the rising water.

"We need to get off this ship before we get sucked under with it," Sid declared. "Perhaps we can use some of these deck chairs as our own preservers and we can wade out before it goes down. Then one of the lifeboats can pick us up as they come back to collect survivors."

Harold listened as they talked. He was surprised that they were giving up and choosing to risk jumping into the water.

"So that's it?" he asked them. "You aren't going to try and get on a boat?"

"What's the point?" Stinky replied. "No one is going to allow us on."

"I refuse to believe that," Harold said. "You two can jump your way, but I'm going to find a boat." He shook Sid and Stinky's hands. "Good luck to both of you."

Harold disappeared into the crowd as Sid and Stinky looked on. They were both determined to continue on with their plan, and if Harold didn't want to take part, that was his choice. They soon heard music playing and saw the band performing away.

"Wow, first class has everything," Sid said. "Even music to drown by."

* * *

"Nadine!"

Nadine continued lying on Lila's bed, waiting for the drill to be over. The halls were still quiet, so Nadine figured everyone was still on the upper decks. As time went on, Nadine had grown tired and figured if she was stuck in the room, then having a little nap wouldn't hurt. After all, it was well past midnight and Nadine would still have to wake up early to do her chores. As she slept, Nadine heard a voice calling for her.

"Nadine!" The voice had grown louder and disturbed Nadine from her sleep. She opened her eyes drowsily, but the voice didn't disappear. In fact, it was so loud that it sounded like it was just on the other side of the door.

"Nadine!"

It was on the other side! Nadine bolted from the bed and hurried to the door and knocked furiously. "I'm in here!" she yelled.

"Nadine, it's Curly!" the other voice replied. Nadine sighed in relief. She wasn't forgotten. He had come back for her. "What are you doing in her?"

"It was Miss Sawyer," Nadine explained. "She asked me to hide some of her jewels for her while she kept a lookout. And then the door was locked shut. I tried unlocking it from my side but my key doesn't work!"

Curly looked up at the top of the door and saw the other lock. "Somehow she got a steward to lock the upper lock. Thankfully I have the key for it so I can get you out. Miss Lloyd is expecting you so you can get on a lifeboat."

"Oh thank goodness!" Nadine replied. Curly reached into his pocket and felt… nothing. He pulled it out to reveal there was nothing inside. He looked down confused. That was always the pocket he put his keys. Quickly he began looking through his other pockets and that particular key was nowhere in sight.

"Shit!" Curly yelled, causing Nadine to jump back. "My apologies, Nadine. I can't find the key anywhere! I had it in my pocket not too long ago."

"Never mind about the key, just unlock the door!" Nadine cried frantically. Curly stared at the door in disbelief.

"Nadine, I can't unlock the door without the key!" Curly explained. "Hence, the purpose of a key."

"Is there anyone you can find that would have it?" Nadine asked. "Or is there something that could break the door down? I just want to get out of here."

"I'll do my best," Curly replied, about to leave the door. He would break it down himself, had he not already known that these doors won't budge from one men's force. He was going to need something heavier to hit it against. "Just wait here."

It was Nadine's turn to look at the door in disbelief. "Where else am I supposed to go?" she asked sarcastically. "The first class smoking room?"

Curly shook his head. "My apologies. I'll be back soon, Nadine. You'll be out in no time and reunited with Miss Lloyd."

"Thank you, Curly," Nadine called out. She soon heard footsteps begin to fade away and Nadine felt a smile creep on her face. She was going to be free soon, and she will find the master at arms and report Lila for what she had done. Hopefully, she would also be able to find the steward who locked the door in the first place and be able to persuade him to speak against Lila.

She sat down at the table and waited patiently for Curly's return. Not before long, Nadine heard a strange noise. It sounded like something was bubbling, followed by liquid falling. Nadine listened carefully to where the noise was coming from. She turned her head towards the sink in Lila's room. Flowing out was water.

Nadine walked over to turn it off, figuring she might have accidentally forgotten to turn it off. When she arrived, she was shocked to see that the water was not coming from the faucet, but rather the sink itself. She reached in to feel the water, but quickly retracted it at frigidness. The water continued to flow out and land on the floor, flooding the cabin. Nadine hurried back onto the bed, praying that Curly would return soon.

**A/N: Time's starting to run out. Less than an hour to go. Who's going to make it? You just have to wait and find out.**


	33. A Leap of Faith

**A/N: Thank you for the birthday wishes. I really had a great day. And here we have the next chapter. It took me awhile to get this out, but I wanted to make sure that this was good, and I believe that I did just that. I hope you guys are ready, because this chapter is going to be a wild ride. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

Monday April 15, 1912; 1:40 AM

Two Hours since Collision, Forty Minutes until Sinking

As those in the lifeboats continued to paddle away, they couldn't help but look in horror at the sight of the dying ship. The bow was slipping underneath the water while the stern began to rise. Screams filled the air as the remaining passengers on board began to realize their demise will soon be met, and run amok across the decks, trying to figure out how to stay alive. While there are those who scrambled towards the few remaining lifeboats, others accepted their fate and were eerily calm amid the chaos. A few began to take their chances with the elements, and began to jump into the water and swim away from the ship. Some managed to climb into nearby lifeboats. Others never resurfaced.

"Oh, good God," Rhonda whispered from what she had just witnessed. One lifeboat was being lowered into the water as another was being loaded. Soon enough, the second lifeboat was nearly on top of the first one. Luckily, the lower boat was able to cut the ropes and row away before being crushed from the falling weight above them.

Rhonda didn't want to look on, but she couldn't help observe the tragedy that was unfolding. She didn't have the distraction of learning to row an oar to help her thoughts, which were focused primarily on Nadine and Curly. Were they safe? Was Nadine on a lifeboat somewhere? Was Curly? Were they together, or was Curly unsuccessful in his search for Nadine? These questions and more plagued Rhonda's mind, but there were no answers, and that was what she found the most agonizing.

A twinge of guilt filled Rhonda's heart as the boat continued to row away. There she was, sitting safely on a lifeboat while the fates of Nadine and Curly were unknown. There was Curly, who gave her the strength to finally stand up to Lila and make her believe she had triumphed over Helga and Arnold. Also, he was probably the best lover Rhonda ever encountered. But the part of him Rhonda admired most was when he refused to take the money after Lila threatened to expose their relationship and ruin Rhonda's reputation. It was the noblest thing Rhonda had ever seen, and she could see that Curly had truly cared for her, even after knowing her for a few days.

And then there was Nadine. Rhonda knew she had put the poor girl through hell when she first started, as Rhonda did with her other maids. Rhonda would make such ridiculous demands in hopes that she would quit, especially after she couldn't perform any of her duties properly after the first day and her mother refused Rhonda the ability to dismiss another maid. But Nadine stayed in her position, and tried every day to do her job properly. She had gotten better over time, but Rhonda was blinded by Nadine's incompetence and Lila's blackmail to notice. Once Rhonda was free, she noticed that Nadine wasn't so horrible. But her true appreciation for Nadine came when she told everyone the truth about Lila. Despite everything that Rhonda out her through, Nadine remained loyal to her. There was nothing Rhonda could do that could even begin to make up for what she did. All she could do right now was sit in the drifting lifeboat and pray that the both of them make it.

* * *

Curly ran throughout the corridors of first class in an attempt to find something to break down the door. His search area was shortened by the increasing amount of water that was starting to fill the bow of the ship, where Lila's room was located. Curly knew his time was running short, and that he has to hurry before the water reached the cabin.

"Excuse me, sir, but I need your help," Curly heard a voice call to him. Curly groaned to himself. He had no time to be helping anyone, not if he wanted to save Nadine. He was about to ignore the person before said person grabbed his arm. Curly turned his head to see who had him. It was a passenger, and by his appearance, he looked to be a servant of sorts.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for someone," the servant said, panting. He must have been running for quite some time. "She's a maid and her employer is friends with mine. My employer was able to get her on a lifeboat, but she was reluctant to leave her maid behind. We promised to help her find the maid and see if she was still on board."

Curly sighed. He had a feeling that he was going to regret this. "What is the maid's name?" he asked.

"Nadine. Her employer is Miss Rhonda Wellington Lloyd."

Apparently, Curly's intuition was wrong, and he couldn't be gladder that it was. "I know where she is," Curly said. "Miss Lloyd asked me to search for her earlier. She is currently locked in a stateroom and unfortunately, I don't have the key on me. It went missing somehow. But now I'm trying to find a way to break the door down and get her on a boat."

"Then we better get moving and find something." The two hurried in search of seething that would have enough force to break the door. "My name is Gerald, by the way."

"Thaddeus, but everyone calls me Curly," the steward replied. "Don't ask why."

Around the same time, Eugene had finished wrapping up gathering whatever loot he could grab. He was walking down the maze of corridors, trying to find his way out when he heard voices behind him.

"Oi!" someone behind him shouted. Panicked that he had been discovered for looting, Eugene ran down the hallways. He searched for an exit, but he either couldn't find them or they were being blocked by pouring water. He continued running, and soon found an open door. Eugene hurried inside and closed the door quietly. Looking around, he discovered that he was in a supply closet. As he heard the footsteps grow closer, he kept his mouth shut and held his breath as the waited for them to pass by.

"Where did he go?" a new voice asked outside the door.

"It doesn't matter now," the first voice replied. "Look what he dropped. It's a key that all stewards have. It's to lock the staterooms, which is exactly what we need to get Nadine out."

"Then what are we still doing here?" the second voice asked. Eugene heard the footsteps grow softer and soon there was no noise. He sighed in relief that he managed to get away. He went to the door to open it, only it wouldn't. Furiously, Eugene jiggled the knob, but it wouldn't come loose.

"Uh oh," he said.

Curly and Gerald made it to the outside of Lila's room, which was now higher than ankle length deep in water. Curly grabbed the key and unlocked it.

"Nadine?" he shouted as he and Gerald pushed the door against the flow of water inside the room. They soon spotted Nadine sitting on the bed, relieved to see them.

"Curly! Gerald!" she exclaimed as she jumped from the bed. "Ah, this is cold!" The two men helped her out of the room and into the hallway. They looked over to the nearest stairwell, which was now having water splashing down into the hallway.

"We need to move towards the stern," Curly commanded. "There's no water that way."

Nadine and Gerald followed Curly as he guided them to the back, the numbing water soon disappearing from their feet. They climbed their way above deck, with Gerald explaining the situation with Rhonda along the way. Nadine was glad that Rhonda was safe, and was honored that she was willing to wait so long for her.

When they reached the boat deck, it was pure chaos. People were running all over in search of safety. There was something else that Curly noticed that made him panic. The boats were gone. The deck was completely empty of them. But soon Curly noticed something further down. He stood corrected. Almost all of them were gone.

"Nadine, come quickly," he instructed, leading her towards a group of men working a pulley system. "I have someone who needs to get on!"

The crew stopped and looked at their comrade with the frightened maid. "We can't pull the boat back up," one of the crew members informed them. "If she really needs to get on it, she is going to have to jump. And don't think of jumping down with her."

Nadine looked down and saw the boat was several decks down. Her breathing shortened by the long jump. The lifeboat was nearly filled to capacity. If she jumped, she could injure herself or someone else. Then there was the chance she missed entirely and landed in the ocean. She remembered how cold the water was in the hallway and she didn't want to feel that pain once again.

"I don't think I can do this," she whimpered to Curly. "It's so far down."

"You'll be fine," Curly assured her. "I know you can make it."

"And what about you?" Nadine asked, her eyes fearful. Curly grabbed her hands and held them tightly.

"Tell Miss Lloyd I went down as a gentleman, and that you two gave me the voyage of a lifetime. Tell her I enjoyed our brief time together, and the money she was going to give to me, I want her to give to you." Nadine shook her head in protest. She was about to speak before Curly stopped her with a brief, sweet kiss. "Go find your happiness, because you deserve it."

Tears filled up Nadine's eyes as she nodded. She wasn't doing this for herself, but for Curly. Nadine could see that he genuinely care for her and Rhonda and wanted the both of them to make it alive. She never had someone shown her so much admiration, even if it was only friendly. Nadine wasn't going to let that end in vein. She was just worried if she'll make it in one piece.

With one last squeeze, she let go of Curly's hand and walked to the edge of the boat deck. She gulped at the distance between her and the lifeboat. She could have sworn the distance became longer. Nadine turned to Curly and looked at him one last time. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and leapt from the deck and into her fate.

* * *

Harold was running out of time. The boats were departing quickly and there didn't seem to be many crew allowing men into the boats. But there was an officer who was allowing men on the starboard side, Harold soon found out, and he hurried to get on it.

He wasn't the only one. Harold soon discovered a hoard of passengers attempting to get on one boat. Somehow, Harold maneuvered his way to the front, just as the boat was preparing to lower. He saw a wealthy man get into the boat just as it was about to be lowered. Harold knew it was now or never. He needed to get on that boat so he could see Patty again. Without fully realizing it, his feet were running towards the edge of the deck.

Two shots were fired.

* * *

Sid and Stinky sat on the ledge of the boat deck near the stern. The promenade was beginning to overflow with water. They both knew there wasn't much time left. If they were going to have a chance of living and not be sucked under, now was the time was to do so. They had already chucked their respective deck chairs overboard, and they were both trying to gather the courage to jump.

"Are you ready?" Stinky asked, looking over at Sid. Sid shook his head.

"No," he admitted. "But I'd rather not die on this ship. I want the chance to live and this is our only chance without taking a seat on a lifeboat."

"I reckon you're right," Stinky said, extending his hand out to his longtime friend. "I'm about to go. Good luck to you."

"And to you as well," Sid replied, shaking his hand. "I'll be down in a minute."

Stinky nodded and with a deep breath, jumped. Sid couldn't bear to watch. The distance between him and the ocean was so long that he felt dizzy just by looking at it. He took a few moments to gather his composure. He closed his eyes and fell into the ice cold water.

* * *

The passengers in lifeboat eight looked among the horror among them. The water was rising quickly and almost engulfed the entire bow. Most of the boats were gone, but there were one boat that can be seen being brought down.

"Those must be a collapsible," Phoebe whispered to Helga. "There's four of them, but I'm guessing that the other two are on the other side, and the other one on this side hasn't been retrieved yet."

"It hasn't," Helga said blankly. Her eyes couldn't be moved from the sight. She knew Arnold was still among that mess, and she knew he wouldn't take a spot on a lifeboat. She hoped that his good nature would be overruled by the will to survive and he would make it. But it was doubtful, and she started preparing herself by shutting down her emotions. Helga forced herself to become numb from the entire situation, refusing to have any feelings about what was happening. It was the only way she could handle what was happening right in front of her.

"I can see the propellers," Miriam mentioned. Helga went from focusing on the disappearing bow to the stern and saw that it was indeed out of the water now, with all three propellers visible to anyone around. A loud, creaking sound distracted Helga from the stern and back to the bow. Gasps from the boat were uttered as they watched the first funnel rip apart from the ship and land into the water, crushing who and whatever was underneath its path.

* * *

"Lila?" Arnold asked in disbelief. How was she standing in front of him? "What are you still doing here? Why aren't you on a lifeboat?"

"I was about to get on one, but then I saw you with Helga," Lila explained in her sickeningly sweet voice. "I saw her abandoning you and getting on a lifeboat without you. It broke my heart to see that she claims to love you so much and yet, she leaves you here by yourself to face death."

Arnold looked at her in disbelief. How could she know what happened between him and Helga? How did she know what was said? Neither one was speaking loudly, so there was no possible way for Lila to know what was said. But that wasn't what bothered him the most.

"I told her to get on that boat," Arnold argued. He really didn't want to deal with Lila, but what she said got to him, and he needed to set the record straight. "She was wanting to stay behind but I told her to go. I wanted her on that boat, just like I want you away from me."

"If she really oh so wanted to be with you, she would have stayed behind, no matter what you said," Lila said. "From what I saw, I'm ever so certain that she didn't argue with you that long. She looked as if she wanted to get away from you. But I ever so hope you can see that I do love you enough to stay with you until the end. I wouldn't abandon you like she did. We can die together in this oh so tragically romantic way."

Arnold rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Lila, listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once and I hope you leave me in peace. I do not love you, nor have I ever loved you. My heart belongs to Helga, and hers belongs to me. She got on that boat because she respects my wishes to have her safely on a lifeboat. Part of having love is having respect for that other person. And if you love me as much as you claim, you would respect my choices, no matter your feelings of them. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go find Nadine."

Before Arnold could leave, Lila grabbed his arm. "I'm ever so afraid you missed her," Lila said. "I saw her get into a lifeboat some time ago. She's perfectly safe."

Naturally, Lila was lying. She didn't see Nadine get on a boat. For all Lila knew, Nadine was still stuck in her room with no hopes of escaping. Lila wasn't hoping to kill the poor girl, but there wasn't anything she could do now. The room must be underwater, so Nadine would either die of drowning or hypothermia. Besides, it wasn't as if someone would miss a maid who couldn't do her job properly.

Arnold sighed in relief at the false hope that Nadine was safe. His thoughts then turned to Helga and her mother, and their divided family. "In that case, I should go find Mr. Pataki and Olga and try to convince her to get on a boat."

"I'm ever so afraid that is not possible," Lila said glumly.

"What do you mean?" Arnold asked, looking confused.

"Earlier in the night, when we were starting to be sent up here, I saw Olga running to the smoking room. She said her father didn't know about the drill and she was going to get him. I found her again later and she was still with him. I don't know how she got into the smoking room, since she's not a male, but they were sitting outside of it. Anyways, Olga said her father was not comprehending what was going on and was refusing to leave his table, even though everyone else had left to attend to their wives. I asked if she would get on a boat with me and she said only if her father could join us. When we got to a boat, they wouldn't allow him to pass, even when we told him that he was sick. Olga refused to leave Mr. Pataki behind. I tried to talk to her about finding another boat but she said she is not leaving her father. Olga told me to go find a boat so I could continue with the drill. That's when I saw you and the rest of Olga's family and I heard you talking about the ship sinking. And after they got on the boat, I knew that I wanted to spend my last moments with you."

Arnold couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he wasn't already mad at Lila for everything she had done, he would have been flattered. But it always appeared she came out of nowhere just to ruin his chances with Helga. And yet, despite all of this, he couldn't bear the thought of her dying. No one deserved it, no matter how much of a menace that person was.

"Well, then," he said. "I'm getting you onto a lifeboat. And don't mistake my kindness for love. As I said before, I don't love you, but I won't allow you to die."

Lila remained in her spot. "I'm ever so certain I am not leaving without you," she declared, holding onto Arnold tightly. "None of the boats appear to be taking men unless they are crew, which you are not. And if you are going to die here tonight, then I'm dying with you. Either way, we will be together."

"I don't want to be with you!" Arnold exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say it before you finally comprehend it? I don't want to be with you! And it's not fair to place your life into my hands. Honestly, haven't you listened to a word I said? Of course you haven't because you only think of yourself. I swear, Lila, you are putting me a position that I don't want to be in with no consideration for my feelings whatsoever."

Lila stared at him and moved closer. "You do love me," she said. "You just won't allow yourself to admit it. Either that or Helga has a string spell cast on you. I swear, that girl's a witch. And a powerful one at that. She's made my life miserable by taking you say from me, but I refuse to let her do that. She can't have you. I refuse to let her do any more harm to you. Just allow yourself to be free of her spell and then you can see that you and I are meant for each other!"

Before Arnold could protest, a wave of water crashed into them, knocking them down into the ocean. As they were arguing, neither one noticed the rising water levels that were making their way to the promenade deck. The force was strong that it pulled them away from the ship and into the freezing waters. Arnold swam up to the surface, gasping for air. The salt water he accidentally ingested burned his throat.

"Arnold! Help me!" he heard someone shouted his name. Spinning around, he soon found Lila about a hundred yards away, waving her hands around. He wanted to swim away and pretend that he never saw her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He began swimming over to her. Cords began snapping, causing Arnold to stop and search for the source of the noise. The cords were popping from the deck and dangled in the air. A loud creaking began as Arnold saw the metal from the funnel beginning to bend. The funnel began to lean over, moving faster and faster. Arnold's eyes widened when he saw where it was going.

"Lila, look out!" he shouted, but it was too late. The last image he had of her was her arms blocking her face and screaming before the sight was replaced by the funnel.

**A/N: We now have our first official death, along with several who are unknown. There is only twenty minutes left before the end of Titanic's life, soon followed by the aftermath. Get your tissues ready.**


	34. One Final Breath

**A/N: Again, sorry for my extreme lateness for this chapter, but I've been figuring out exactly how I wanted to go about this chapter and I've had some personal stuff going on. Nothing too serious, I promise, but enough that required my full attention. I must say, I'm surprised by the reactions I received about Lila's death. I have to admit, I enjoyed every moment of writing it. And now we reach the end of Titanic's life, along with several others. Who are they exactly? Some we'll find out now, others will come later. I'm not sure how many chapters I'll do after the boats reach the **_**Carpathia, **_**but it is safe to say we are approaching the end of the story soon.**

Monday April 15, 1912; 2:00 AM

Two Hours, Twenty Minutes since Collision; Twenty Minutes until Sinking

The cold water stung his body instantly once he made impact with the ocean. It was so cold he could barely move. For a few moments, he was completely submerged while the water pierced his entire body, even the parts covered in layers of clothing. Salt water found its way into him, burning his nostrils and throat.

_So this is how it ends, _he thought, still unable to move. _Drowning in the freezing cold ocean without anyone around. Dear God, if it is my time, please take me now and end my pain._

He soon felt a current around him. It was almost certain that he was going to be sucked under. But he didn't feel a pull towards the ship. Instead, he felt a push. A push towards some light.

A large gasp escaped from his mouth as his head popped back up from the surface. He could hear the screams from other people around him as they started swimming away. He turned to see the luxury liner now approaching its end. Wading by him was one of the lounge chairs he and his companion threw over before plunging into the dark abyss.

Quickly, he grabbed onto the chair and climbed on. The cold air of the night didn't help in his quest for solace from the water, nor did the open panels that allowed water to sting his body. Shivering, he dipped his hands back into the ocean and started to paddle away from the ship, not wanting to get sucked back under from the current. As he swam away, he looked all over the area for his friend. He called out his friend's name, but there was no reply. Floating nearby, however, was the other deck chair that was thrown over.

He closed his eyes, trying to fight back any tears. He knew deep down that his friend didn't make it. He must have been sucked under instead. A twinge of guilt began to eat at him, knowing that if his friend went at the same time as him, his friend would still be alive.

He shook his head and kept paddling. There wasn't anything he could do about it now. One friend is gone for certain, but there was still Harold. The two of them, along with Patty, could still have a life together in California. He also knew that if he jumped at the same time as his friend, neither one would have survived. It was a blessing, he told himself, but this was just one part. He still had to get away from the sinking ship, as well as make it through the night without freezing to death. Determined to live, he paddled his way through the icy waters in hopes of finding a lifeboat.

* * *

Gerald and Curly looked over the edge of the ship to the lifeboat that just launched. There wasn't anything they could do to help Nadine now; her fatter had been sealed. She was on her own. They all were at this point.

"What do we do now?" Gerald asked the steward.

"There isn't much we can do," Curly replied. "It's every man for himself now, unfortunately. I wish you good luck in all of this."

"But there must be something we can do," Gerald pleaded, preventing from Curly. "That couldn't be the last boat. There has to be another one somewhere."

Curly thought for a moment, trying to figure out how many lifeboats were left. Since he was barely up on deck, he didn't know for sure how many had been launched. But from the looks of the situation, there weren't many left, if any at all.

"I think they may all be gone," he said disappointingly. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Gerald asked desperately. "Are there more boats?"

"The collapsibles," Curly whispered. "There are four of them, and the one we just saw was D. There's another one on this side. Collapsible B. They might not have gotten it out yet. And from the looks of it, they're trying to do so right now."

Gerald turned to see a group of crew not far away trying to grab hold of something. It was another lifeboat. There was at least one more. Gerald beamed in excitement, but it didn't last long when he remembered someone was missing.

"I need to find Mr. Shortman," Gerald declared. "I can't go without him. He needs to know what happened to Nadine and he needs to be kept alive for Miss Pataki."

"There's no time to go searching for him!" Curly exclaimed, holding onto Gerald to prevent him from leaving. "It's a suicide mission. For all we know, he could be dead right now."

"But there is the slight chance he could be alive!" Gerald rebutted. "He's the heir to the Shortman Hotels and boarding houses."

"And he's not the only important man left on this ship," Curly argued. "Many important men are going to lose their lives tonight, and as much as I want to help, neither one of us can do anything if we're dead! The best we can do now is get on this lifeboat, and after the ship is at the bottom of the Atlantic, we can come back and find him. If you want to go searching for him, that's on you, but don't expect me to waste the precious time we have left trying to look for someone and have the boat completely gone. Hell, for all we know, he could be on a boat at this moment. He could be safe while we are having this discussion."

Gerald sighed. Curly was right. He couldn't help Arnold if something were to happen to him. He refused to believe that he was dead or that he had taken a spot on a lifeboat, which left him either on the ship or one of the many that jumped. Either way, there wasn't much time left.

"Then we better get over there," Gerald decided, and the two men hurried the group of men. They had to tread carefully. The incline of the ship had increased while they were talking. One slip and they would fall into the depths of the ocean for good. Keeping their distance, they watched as the crew tried to pull the boat out from its place. They appeared to have some difficulty with this, and they were growing impatient. The water was quickly heading their way.

"Shouldn't we try to find another lifeboat?" Gerald asked Curly. "They're taking forever and there isn't much time left. For all we know, we could die waiting for them to get this out."

"And for all we know, this is the last lifeboat left," Curly pointed out. "This is our nay chance. Just have some faith in them and trust that we can make it."

Faith and trust. The same words Gerald spoke to Phoebe just before he put her in the boat. Nodding to himself, he knew that she would want him to have faith that they will see each other again. If this was God's way of giving him a chance, then he wasn't going to let it go.

The water was upon them, soaking their ankles. The crew finally was able to get the boat out of its storage room and was starting to angle oars so it can be dropped to the boat deck. Grand and Curly assisted, each grabbing oars and poles to help.

"Out of the way," a crew member cried out from above. "We're about to drop it." With a couple of shouts and grunts, the boat was pushed off the upper deck and landed on the boat deck.

There was just one slight problem. Instead of landing in the proper position, the boat landed upside down. The man hurried to turn it over, but the water was coming too fast. Soon the boat was being washed away from the deck. Gerald and Curly looked at each other, and then at the floating capsized lifeboat. They each grabbed an oar and climbed aboard the boat, holding on for dear life so they don't fall back into the water. They weren't the only ones who had that idea. Men from all around began climbing on as well. The boat buckled from all the weight.

"Row men!" an officer shouted. "We must get out of here before we're either swamped or pulled under!"

The men who had oars did as told and began rowing as quickly as they could. The paddled away from the ship, but was proven difficult with the amount of men on the small boat. The weight had the men leg deep in water. Another problem was the movement. One wrong move and passengers and crew alike fell back into the water. As more men tried to climb back on, more men will fall off. Before they could go too far, the lights from the ship turned off, leaving nothing to illuminate their way except for the stars.

* * *

"So this is it," Eugene said to himself. After multiple failed attempts, he was unable to unlock the closet door. With water now starting to come in, he climbed his way up the shelves, away from the water. Eugene remembered that he had his gun on him, but by then it was too late. Even if he did get the door unlocked from his gun, the pressure from outside the door was too great for one man to push away. He was stuck, with no hope of escaping.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he continued to say to himself. "I wasn't even supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be back at home in Ireland. And yet I allowed greed to get the best of me. Serves me right, though. Yes I managed to help someone who needed it, but it was to my advantage. She was desperate, just as I was to get some money.

"I only wanted to help people, just like my hero. Was that a crime? Is it a crime to steal money in order to make my dreams come true?" He chuckled softly to himself. "I guess it wasn't much of a dream since my hero wasn't as I thought he was. Just a big fraud, like myself. And that money wasn't to help people; it was only for myself. Well, Eugene, congratulations. You managed to end up just like him. You lied about who you were for your own gain, causing harm to everyone around you. It's surprising that you can even recognize yourself in the mirror."

He groaned softly. It felt as if the room was caving in on him, though nothing had moved. He could feel the pressure building around him. Eugene looked up to the ceiling as the water continued to creep in.

"Forgive me of my sins, Lord," he whispered, grunting. The pressure was becoming unbearable for him. "Forgive me for all those I have cheated, lied, and harmed that were in my pathway towards greed. And Lord, look after Patty. Let her survive this. She doesn't deserve to be in pain. Allow her to find happiness. As for now, I accept my fate, whether it be heaven or hell."

One last cry of agony escaped from Eugene lips before the pressure was insurmountable to overcome. He closed his eyes as he felt his ribs crack and his organs shut down. His body went limp, and fell into the water.

* * *

Arnold waded in the water, stupefied by what he had just witnessed. He had never seen someone die, let alone a woman or in such a violent way. He may have not liked Lila in the slightest, but no one deserved to die that fashion. Arnold couldn't move, and it was uncertain if it was because of the shock or the cold. Most likely it was the shock because he had forgotten how cold the water was.

A shove from behind awoke Arnold from his stupor and he soon remembered where he was. He could also feel the cold stabbing him like a thousand needles being injected into every inch of his skin. All his clothing did for him was drag him down. If he wasn't wearing a lifejacket, he was certain he would have been dragged down.

Coming to his senses, he began paddling. He wasn't sure where he was headed, but only knew that he needed to swim away from where he was. He needed something, anything, to get him out of the cold. It was suicide, but there was only one choice. He had to return to the ship. Even if it was for a few minutes, it would be a few minutes less than if he stayed in the water.

With all his might, he swam back to Titanic. He grabbed onto the rails and pulled himself out of the water. The air was cold, possibly colder than the water, but he didn't care. It was more bearable than the water. As he climbed up the incline, he noticed a group of men around one another. They were looking up. Arnold did as well and saw that there was a lifeboat. They were trying to pull it down from its storage space. He could tell there weren't many women around. It was primarily men.

Arnold was uncertain of what to do. He could try to save his life, and there weren't many women or any children in the vicinity. Could he still save himself and still be a gentleman? Would he be able to live with himself knowing that there were women and children who suffered while he was sitting comfortably in a lifeboat, hoping that another ship would arrive?

The answer was soon decided for him. When the boat got on the deck, two officers were trying to attach it to the falls. But a rush of water drifted it away from the deck and men scrambled to climb on. The boat was right in front of him. All he had to do was climb in. Arnold hesitated, and instead was pushed inside by someone behind him. He flipped into the lifeboat and landed at the bottom of it. A small splash was made upon impact. Arnold looked down to find himself in water once again. The small boat buckled underneath him. Arnold looked up to see that the boat was filled with many people. He barely had enough room to get up. Soon, something fleshy appeared in front of his face. Adjusting his focus, he realized it was a hand. He followed it to see the owner who was above him.

"Grab on," the owner told him in an English accent. Arnold did as he said and grabbed his hand. With some force, Arnold was then lifted from the bottom and landed on a seat. It wasn't much help since his legs were still under water.

"I know this isn't the best circumstance, but it sure as hell beats having your entire body in water," the man continued. "And from the looks of you, it appears you've already had a dip."

Arnold shrugged, agreeing with his current appearance. He looked at the man who helped him. He was mostly dry, and from his own appearance, he looked as if he was from third class. Shouts were made from an officer, instructing them to row away quickly to avoid suction. Arnold was in the middle of the boat, shivering as the boat rowed away.

People all around tried to climb in, but many were unsuccessful. Each person brought on more water, further submerging the boat under water. With each person, it became more arduous to row away. Arnold wanted to help, but he was too cold from all the water to be able to perform in any function.

"I should thank you," Arnold said, shivering in his place. "Thank you for helping me out of the water. I was in the ocean for a short time but then I managed to pull myself out and back on Titanic."

The gentleman looked at him as if he were crazy. "You mean to tell me that you climbed back on a sinking ship? That's a bold move for someone to make."

"It got me out of the water," Arnold pointed out. "It was freezing. Still is. Actually, I can barely feel my feet."

"You might want to pull them out," the man said. "Just curl up into a ball. Maybe that could help." Arnold did as he said. It help a bit, but not as much as he had hoped.

"I guess this is as best as it's going to get," Arnold decided, extending his shivering hand to the man. "I'm Arnold Shortman."

The man clasped his hand into Arnold's just as the lights turned off. "Harold Berman."

* * *

The screams grew louder as the ship dipped further into the water. The people in the lifeboats sat and stared at the spectacle. Passengers and crew alike could be seen either running towards the stern or jumping off the ship. After watching the first funnel come off, the shouts increased as people became worried.

Helga couldn't hide it any longer. The pain was becoming too much to bear. She wanted so desperately to help Arnold, but she was stuck in this boat, with nothing to do but watch people die in front of her. The strong façade Helga had before was fading, and the tears were coming quickly. She pulled out the small picture frame that held his picture from her pocket. The picture was from several months ago, from a newspaper clipping about his family's hotels and them opening a new one in Los Angeles. Helga had many more of him stashed away in her room back in New York, but she always made sure she had one picture of him on her person at all times.

"Oh my love," she whispered to the picture. "Please somehow make it out of this night of terror alive. If only there was a sign that you were safe. It's not fair that I finally was able to express my love for you only for you to be taken away from me. But I now know how you feel about me, and I shall cherish those words forever."

A raspy breath from behind disrupted Helga from her thoughts. She knew that wheeze all too well. She didn't even bother to look behind. It was Brainy. How could he have survived? How was he even on this lifeboat? This one was for women and children. And how did he stay so quiet until that moment? Helga couldn't hear the wheezing before, and she was certain that Phoebe would have mentioned it to her.

A slow anger boiled inside Helga, and her hands began to coil up into fists. There she was, hoping that her beloved was safe, although it was unlikely, and this creepy man was alive, sitting behind her. Why did he deserve to live when Arnold might be dying, or dead? The very man who helped the woman Helga despised most in plotting to ruin Helga's life. And for what? So Brainy could have her? She wasn't going to let him win so easily.

With each wheeze, Helga grew angrier. Her hands began to shake, and it wasn't from the cold. Unable to take it anymore, she lifted her fist up and back, making contact with Brainy's face. She could hear the breaking of glass, followed by a small splash.

No one seemed to notice. They were all distracted by the ship. Helga looked and saw the ghastly sight. The stern continued to rise higher from the sea as the bow was completely gone. More passengers were jumping from the sides, trying to escape. Soon enough, the lights from Titanic vanished. The ship was barely visible to all those in the boats, with only the light from the stars to show them what was happening. Not long after the lights were turned off, the screams were silenced by the sound of creaking metal. The creaking grew louder, followed with the snapping of wood from the decks. Those closer to the ship could see that she was beginning to split. They hurried their rowing, hoping to avoid being crushed by the falling funnels. Soon, all lifeboats were safely away from danger, but stopped as the stern fell back to the ocean, detaching itself from the rest of the ship. The bow was gone below the surface. The stern continues to stay above the surface for a moment, but soon shifted port as it continued flooding. It was almost completely vertical before it disappeared from the surface completely. Titanic was officially dead.

**A/N: Now we have three confirmed dead, although one is a mystery as to who ITT could be. And as I said before, just because they made it on a lifeboat, doesn't mean they will survive. Again, I apologize for my brief hiatus from writing this chapter. Although with me, with those who know my writing, it might as well have been several months. I'll try my best to not let this happen again, but I am taking summer classes so it may be a bit difficult. Luckily, this month is not too bad, but I will probably take a break from writing for the rest of the summer, or write occasionally. I have several stories in mind for what I want to write next, but it will be awhile before I begin working on them. And for my Star Wars fans, May the Fourth be with you.**


	35. In the Water

**A/N: I promise I did not abandon this story! Believe me, it has been torture not being able to get to this story. I have been incredibly busy with school and work that I haven't had the time to dedicate my entire focus to this story. But finally I was able to find some time to give you all this chapter. My classes are almost over and I will be able to finish the story, and perhaps work on another. I have another plot in mind I think you will all like, but that will be after this story.**

**I have been thinking of this chapter for quite some time, and up until recently I knew how I wanted it to go. With some time to think about things, I became inspired to take it a different route, and I believe that you will all like it. Or hate me for doing this. Like it would be different from what I've done before.**

"Help us!"

"Please!"

"Come back!"

"We're freezing!"

Shouts filled the otherwise quiet darkness of the early morning in the North Atlantic. The once massive, majestic ship was now beneath the waves, to never see the shining rays of the sun again. Passengers splashed in the water, praying that the lifeboats would come back.

He clung onto the deck chair as people swam by him. He thought he would have been far enough from the ship as it went down. While he didn't get sucked down as the ship went down, he wasn't able to get away from passengers who were also swimming away. As they swam by, they gazed over at him with pleading eyes to help them. "There's room for another," they conveyed to him. "Just move over and let me on."

He was barely staying afloat as it was. The water between the gaps in the wood soaked through the front of his clothing, freezing him down to his bones. Another person on and they would both be submerged in the salt water. He closed his eyes, avoiding the begging eyes that were on him. He knew what was to become of them if the lifeboats don't come soon. It made him wonder what was to become of him if the boats never came. Would he survive long being on the chair? Sure, he wasn't completely in the water, but he could still feel it soaking his skin. Would it be a few minutes? An hour? Or would he perish before everyone else? He didn't have long to think about it before his throat began to burn from salt water.

He opened his eyes to find himself under water, still clinging onto the chair. Between the boards he could see another person on top of the chair, pushing him under. The face was fairly visible, but he could see it was another man. Had it been a woman, he would have accepted his fate and let her stay on. He couldn't bear the thought of killing a woman. His face tightened. There was no way he was going to let some stranger take his spot, even if there was no guarantee that he would survive. If he stayed under, he knew for sure that he wouldn't make it. He owed it to his friends to try and make their dream a reality, even if he was the only one to live it.

With all his strength he pushed the chair back over, flipping the person back into the water. The man's head was right in front of him, facing away. Quickly, he jumped on top of him and pushed him under the water. The drowning man struggled, but he kept him under until there was no longer a struggle. He sighed in relief knowing that he had won, not just for him, but for his friends. Curious, he climbed off the man and turned him around. His face went pale white.

"Stinky?" Sid asked in horror at the lifeless body before him. "You were supposed to be dead when we jumped off the boat! My God, what have I done? Stinky!"

Stinky didn't answer. Fear was the lasting expression, forever plastered on his face. Sid pushed the body away from him and swam away, forgetting the chair and unable to look back. All he knew was he had to get away, even though he didn't have a plan to get out of the water. He just couldn't be there, knowing his friend's face was staring at him from behind.

* * *

A soft groan escaped from the barrier of her lips. Her eyes slowly opened to see the night sky gazing above her. A loud noise reached her ears. Shouts. She bolted up from the noise, only to be met with a pain in her head.

"Easy, dear," a soft voice beside her said. "You had a nasty fall. It's a miracle you survived with only a broken arm. Do you know your name?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the woman next to her. She looked familiar. She was fairly young, but was all too familiar. She soon felt the pain in her arm. She tried moving it, but to no avail. The pain hurt too much.

"Careful. Your name," she repeated. "Do you remember your name?"

"Nadine," she answered. "Mrs. Astor, is that you?"

"So you recognize me," Madeline answered. "As I recognize you. You are Rhonda's maid."

"That is correct, ma'am," Nadine said. "What happened? Why is there so much screaming?"

Madeline Astor looked at her with hesitation. "The Titanic sank. Those are the screams of the passengers in the water. They have grown softer over time."

Softer. That singular word made her dizzy. She knew what that meant, and it wasn't because they were being saved. They were dying. The dizziness became too much, and Nadine once again slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Screams could be heard from the lifeboats, and it was more than Rhonda could bear. She covered her ears to try and block it out. It bothered more when the screams grew softer and she was unable to hear them anymore through her ears. Rhonda lowered her hands and looked over at Madame Aubart. Grief was stricken all over her face.

"Mon dieu. My poor Benjamin," Madame Aubart whispered. Rhonda opened her mouth to speak, but the mistress continued. "I know he didn't make it, so there is no need to try and convince me otherwise. If he was anything in his life, it was a gentleman, and he would have continued that until the moment he died. At least you don't have to worry about losing a man like this, Rhonda. You can't even begin to imagine the pain."

Rhonda chuckled softly. "I suppose I don't," she replied. She looked out to the ocean where the ship once was. All she could think about was Curly. She didn't know where he was, but she prayed that he was safe. However, as the screams of help dwindled, her fear that he would make it rose.

"Didn't you hear me?" Madame Aubart asked, snapping Rhonda out of her thoughts. Rhonda looked back at the French mistress.

"I'm sorry," Rhonda replied, shaking her head. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you knew where Lila was," Madame Aubart repeated. "I haven't seen her since before the sinking and I wondered if you knew if she got on a lifeboat."

"I don't," she admitted. In fact, this was the first time the entire night that Rhonda even thought about her former companion. She couldn't even remember the last time she saw Lila. The whole day had been a blur compared to the sinking. "I don't even know where Nadine is. She was supposed to meet with me on the deck, but she never showed up, so I had to have one of the stewards go retrieve her. Neither one returned by the time Arnold escorted me to the lifeboat." Her stomach churned thinking that Nadine may not have gotten on a boat. She owed her intact reputation to her maid, and she would never forgive herself had something happened to Nadine.

"I'm certain they are both safe," Madame Aubart assured. "I doubt they would have let any first class woman stay on the boat, even if one is a dairy farmer and the other is a maid."

It took all Rhonda had to not roll her eyes at the mistress. It was uncalled for her to say that. How was she even able to speak about it? She was the mistress to one of the most successful men in the world, and he was married! None of them were innocent, and Rhonda knew that. As much as she was mad about Lila blackmailing her, Rhonda knew that she wasn't any better. She caused heartbreak to some of her lovers and fear of someone worse than the devil himself in Nadine.

Rhonda could hear the few men that were in the boat talking amongst themselves. They were speaking softly, but Rhonda could make out a few words. She can tell that they were not planning on going back to help any of the people in the water. Her heart sank. She wanted to make sure that everyone she cared about was safe, but there was nothing she could do. And so Rhonda sat there, listening to the fading of the screams, waiting for something to happen.

* * *

Patty buried her face between her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks when the metal scraping was replaced by shouts of people. Thousands of voices of people she helped in the past week. She served them food, turned down their beds, waited on their every whim. How many of them still survived? How many will be lost forever? But more importantly, is Harold safe?

She didn't know. She didn't know the answer to any of those questions. All she knew was whoever was in the boat with her are also survivors. They were stuck in a little lifeboat surrounded by death. Waiting. Waiting for something to come. Whether it be a ship or death, all they could do is wait.

* * *

"We lost another one, sir," one of the crew members said. Curly and Gerald looked over from their side of the capsized lifeboat to the voice. "I believe it was one of the men from the wireless. Phillips, I believe this one was."

"Try to keep him warm," the chief officer in the boat replied. "See if you can keep him warm. We already lost so many; we don't need to lose another."

He wasn't inaccurate. The steward and valet had seen several people drop into the ocean after spending time thigh deep in the water. They were both shivering, but were managing to cling onto life, if barely. It was a rocky night for them. The officer kept them moving to try and keep the boat afloat. As they continued into the night, men had dropped off and froze in the water. As of that moment, there were about thirty men still clinging onto the boat. The chief officer shouted into the early morning, asking for anyone nearby to help them. But alas, no one had come.

"Do you think we'll make it?" Curly asked his neighbor, the valet. Gerald shrugged.

"All that matters to me is that Phoebe is safe on a boat, surrounded by people who care about her. She is going to live a long, happy life, and I'm happy for her, even if I don't get to be a part of the picture anymore."

Curly smirked. "You really love her," he stated.

"For as long as I can remember," Gerald replied, adjusting his grip on the boat. "And what of Miss Wellington Lloyd with you? Would you try to establish a relationship with her after we get rescued?"

"That is, _if _we get rescued," Curly corrected. "And if we do, I'm not sure that a relationship would be in our best interest. She's an heiress, and I'm a former Navy soldier who now works as a steward with White Star Line. And how do you know about me and her?"

Gerald shrugged. "I saw the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you. And Nadine may have mentioned something about it to Phoebe. Despite what happened between the two of you, I know she cares about you, just like you care about her. If the both of you survive, I suggest that you at least maintain some sort of relationship."

"Well, she does owe me some compensation," Curly chuckled. "But it really isn't about the money. I became close to both her and Nadine in the past few days. I was able to help them establish a better relationship."

"You saved Nadine," Gerald included. "You got her out of that room. She's safe now because of you."

"Indeed, she is," Curly replied, rubbing his eyes. "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if we didn't get her out in time."

Gerald looked at him carefully. "It appears that you care about her too."

"I care about both of them," he admitted, his teeth chattering. "They each mean something to me in their own way. Since we are talking about those we care about, what about Mr. Shortman? Do you think he will survive?"

"I'm not sure," Gerald replied, "but if he doesn't, then I know there will be someone who will go insane."

"Miss Pataki," Curly nodded. A few shouts were heard nearby. Both men turned to see that there were a couple of lifeboats coming over to help them. Shivering, they swam their way over to one of the boats. As they climbed in, they stayed close to try and keep warm. The boats rowed away, with some shouting that there was a ship nearby. But the prolonged exposure to the cold had become too much for one of them.

"Tell her I love her," he whispered to his as he took his last breath of air. The companion looked out into the horizon and saw a faint light shining.

"You were so close," he whispered. "We would have both been safe and alive, with the women we love. But I will tell her. That much I can promise you."

* * *

The shouting decreased over time, and Helga could feel herself losing hope. Arnold was still out there, probably in the water. Was he one of them who was still shouting? Or did his voice quiet a long time ago? She had to know. She had to find out. They had to go back. And she wasn't the only one who thought so.

"We need to make a decision," their designated officer said. "We should go back. We have plenty of room that we can have some people come in."

"They'll swamp us!" someone shouted.

"We'll all die if we go back!" another exclaimed.

"We must stay here!"

Helga looked around her disgusted. Either someone looked offended that the suggestion was either made, or their head was down, refusing to speak up. She gritted her teeth.

"Helga, don't," Phoebe advised. "It's no use now."

"No use?" she scoffed. Helga was going to accept whatever fate was meant for her and Arnold, but she couldn't any longer. She stood up in the boat, rocking it. Shouts came for her to sit down.

"Oh, pipe down, the lot of you!" she exclaimed. "Now listen. We have to go back. There are men still out there. Our men. Husbands, fathers, suitors. They deserve to live too, and they deserve to live with us. Do any of you want to be widows? Don't any of you want to know if they survive? We could be their only chance to live, and you want to stay here? We could make a difference here. Now, grab the oars and start rowing!"

The passengers avoided her stares, either looking at the bottom of the lifeboat or out into the ocean. Helga looked to her mother and maid for help, but neither one looked back.

"Et tu, Phoebe?" she asked. Helga shook her head. "If that is the case, then I don't want to be here with any of you."

Before anyone could stop her, Helga dove into the freezing water. She could hear her mother and Phoebe shouting for her to come back, but their voices grew smaller as Helga swam on. The boat wasn't going to follow her, and she could hear some of the voices saying she was a madwoman and suicidal. _That may be, _Helga thought, _but at least if I die, I'll die trying to figure out the truth._

"I'm coming for you, Arnold," she whispered. "My God, this water is freezing!"

Her swimming slowed as she entered the field of bodies that jumped from the ship. Many lifeless eyes gazed upon her, causing her to shiver. She was certain many of them would have killed for her spot on the boat, and here she was, swimming away from safety, all for the chance that she may have one more time with him. None of those eyes were the green ones she desired to see.

"Arnold!" she shouted in a quivering voice. The cold was becoming too much to bear. She continued to swim until she was physically unable to move. There was still no sign of him. A single tear burned her frozen cheek. "I love you, Arnold, and I'm sorry."

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Arnold spoke through shivering teeth to Harold. The water in the boat was the cause of many deaths already. Arnold had lost count of how many people they dipped back into the water. They were able to start pulling their feet out of the bottom of the boat, but the cold had already done its work. The cold air did nothing to help warm them. In fact, it may have sped up the freezing process.

"No, I didn't," Harold replied, holding his body close to his core. He prayed internally that the cold from the water hasn't spread to his entire body. A rumbling came from his stomach. It had been hours since his last meal. Harold searched his pockets and managed to find a biscuit. It was soggy, but he didn't care as he inhaled it. He looked over at his new companion. "Sorry, did you want some?" he asked with his mouth full.

"No, thank you," Arnold replied. Quickly, he changed the subject. "Do you have any idea of what you are going to do when we get to New York?"

"You really believe we are going to make it out of here?" Harold asked incredulously.

Arnold shrugged. "Someone has to look on the positive side. Might as well be me. You must have some plans for when we got to America."

"My mates and me, we were planning on going to California. We were going to have this comedy troupe and be part of the moving pictures. Before that, I was going to take part of some eating competitions in Coney Island and raise money. I managed to get most of it by competing on the ship, but the money got left behind. Everything I had is now on the ocean floor. I don't even know where my mates are. At least my girl is safe on a boat."

Before Arnold was able to reply, another lifeboat rowed next to them. "We have space aboard. It's nice and dry and we have blankets to warm people up. We also need strong men to row while we look for any survivors."

Carefully, the last of the living in the collapsible boat hopped into the adjoining boat. Arnold looked around as he climbed in. There were few people on the boat, including one woman. She appeared to have been pulled out of the water. She lied at the bottom, covered up in blankets. Her face was hidden, covered by her wet, messy hair. One of the survivors told him that she was near death and it would be a miracle if she survived the night. Arnold said a silent prayer for her before he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around him. He took an oar and assisted in the rowing.

"We found a live one!" an officer exclaimed.

"Help pull him out!"

Several men rushed to the side of the lifeboat, rocking it from side to side. Arnold held to the side, fearing to end up back in the water. The boat stabilized as the man was pulled in and wrapped in blankets.

"Sid, is that you?" Harold cried. Quickly, he rushed to his friend. Arnold smiled, happy that one of his friends made it through.

They continued rowing through the frozen field of the dead. Sid was the only other they found alive. Sighing in despair for not finding more, the boat rowed its way out.

"I think I see a light!" someone shouted. "Out in the distance!"

"It's a large light!"

"It looks like a ship!" another yelled.

"It is! Grab the flares!"

Arnold smiled to himself from the shouts of glee. Another ship. They were saved. "I'm coming for you Helga," he whispered to himself.

**A/N: What a way to come back. Yes, I haven't lost my cruel, twisted humor during my hiatus from writing. In fact, I think it has gotten worse since I had just came up with the larger plot twists in the last few days. I literally came up with Sid killing Stinky as I was writing this, and I came up with Helga jumping out of the boat a while ago. Hope you are all ready for more!**


	36. Carpathia, the Savior

**A/N: I know that many of you have already read the last chapter, but you will need to reread it. After writing it, I was unhappy with how it turned out, especially with Arnold and Harold's part. So I've rewritten that part and also added a little bit on Patty, because (I hate admitting this) I've forgotten about her. I guess that's what happens when you go on hiatus for months. But it shall be finished, that I guarantee. Though I can't guarantee a happy ending for all of our beloved characters. Also, there is not much information about the time on the Carpathia, so I'm pretty much improvising this area.**

Monday April 15, 1912, 6:15 AM

Dawn was nearly approaching as Rhonda's lifeboat rowed up to the small steamer ship that arrived hours ago. There was only one smokestack in the center of the ship with little smoke coming out. On the side, Rhonda read the name of the ship that was their salvation: Carpathia.

The gangways were dropped and there were some lifeboats floating in the water, holding some officers.

"Do you have anyone who needs assistance onboard or that needs to see a physician?" one of the Carpathian officers asked.

When no one answered, the officer continued.

"In that case, you will all use the gangway to go inside. There will be officers who will ask for your name and class. They will take you to the appropriate sections. Once at the sections, you will be given some blankets and warm soup. We have only had a few lifeboats come over so please do not fret if you do not find your loved ones just yet. I'm certain they will be coming soon."

The passengers in the boat remained quiet as they climbed onto the gangway. While they all hoped that their loved ones have made it on a boat, most knew in their hearts that it was unlikely. Bundled up, Rhonda stepped off the Titanic lifeboat and onto the new ship. She followed the line of exhausted passengers to a desk with several officers. She got into one of the lines, followed by Madame Aubart. There weren't many people in the boat, so the lines went quickly.

"What is your name and class, please?" and officer asked once Rhonda got to the front of the line.

"Rhonda Wellington Lloyd," she replied. "First class."

"Welcome aboard Carpathia, Miss Lloyd," the officer greeted. "You will be escorted upstairs where the rest of the first class passengers are located. There you will find blankets and soup and tea ready for you to use. Do you have any questions?"

"A couple," Rhonda admitted. "I have a maid that I'm looking for."

"Once she boards, she will be escorted to the first class area as well, unless she is ill. If that is the case, she will be taken to the dining halls for inspection. Anything else?"

"One more," Rhonda assured. "I'm also looking for a steward who helped me during the voyage. If he survived, where could I find him?"

The officer hesitated. "Crew members will be designated in another part of the ship, most likely in crew passage or some other location of the sort. Once we have everyone on, we can work on getting people together. We will try and help reunite you with him, but we cannot guarantee anything at this moment."

Rhonda nodded, understanding the situation. It was silly, believing that she would see Curly once again. She hadn't seen any stewards since coming aboard, but then again, she hadn't seen many survivors since getting on the ship. At that point, she hadn't seen anyone who wasn't on her lifeboat, though many of the faces looked unfamiliar. In the darkness, it was difficult to see all the faces. Soon, she saw new faces approaching. Another boat must have shown up. Rhonda scanned the faces, but saw none she recognized. They must have been from the lower classes, she figured, judging by their clothing.

Rhonda waited for Madame Aubart to finish speaking with the officer. She waited as the mistress finished her never ending questionnaire of getting belongings and where they would be heading once the boats all came to dock. Naturally, none of the officers had any of the answers to these questions.

Once the mistress finished her inquiries, thoroughly dissatisfied by the lack of knowledge, the two women followed a crew member up the stairs to one of the entertainment rooms. Inside, they each were given a blanket and soup. The fireplace was blocked by survivors from the early lifeboats, so they chose to sit by the windows. Together, they silently ate their soup, watching the dawn approaching, along with the other lifeboats.

* * *

6:45 AM

Patty rubbed her hands together, grateful to be in the warmth once again. After giving her information, she was sent to a vacant room where other crew members were located. She rejoiced in finding some of her friends from the ship, but was worried about finding Harold. When she asked where they were placing the third class passengers, none of the officers said anything regarding their whereabouts. She had to know where they were located. She needed to know at least one of the trio of friends survived the night.

Despite it still being cold outside, Patty bundled up in her new blanket and walked outside, tea in hand. Looking desperately, she scanned the horizon for any new boats. The sun was beginning to rise, so it was easier to see if anyone was coming. As she watched the small boats slowly row their way to the rescue ship, she couldn't help but wonder what was to happen. She overheard that Carpathia was destined for Europe. Would they continue back that way or would they turn around and head for New York? It was uncertain, but she had made up her mind. Should they go back to Europe, she was going back to her family. She couldn't bear the thought of working on a ship again. Not after that night. She could find decent work back home and take care of her ailing parents. If they were to go to New York, this was probably the last time she would ever see them. They aren't well to make the journey across the Atlantic, and even if they were, they probably wouldn't want to travel after finding out what happened to the unsinkable ship. Wrapping the blanket tightly around her, she hoped that at least one of these boats contained him. On the other hand, if they were to go back to England, that he wouldn't survive. She couldn't handle the thought of having to tell him of her plan should that be the route they go.

* * *

7:30 AM

The sun had begun shining on the new day as Arnold, Harold, and Sid rowed up to Carpathia. They watched as the officers sent up the dying woman in a lifeboat before they went up the gangway. Arnold bid his adieus to the third class survivors as he was sent to the other first class areas. Harold and Sid made their way to the third class areas. Because of their long exposure to the water, they were sent to the dining room to be inspected for hypothermia.

As soon as they made it to the dining room, Harold and Sid stripped out of their clothes and were wrapped in blankets. Their clothes were taken away to be cleaned and dried. The physician inspected each one carefully. Despite the copious amounts of exposure to the freezing water, the physician diagnosed as neither having hypothermia, but wanted the both of them to wait there until they were warmed and their clothes were returned to them.

They were both given food, and Harold inhaled his soup in less than two minutes. It has hot and burned his mouth, but he didn't care. It could have been boiling water and he would have gone at the same pace. When he finished, Harold looked over at his friend, who was quiet ever since they rescued him from the water. Even as they were saved, Sid didn't speak except to give his name to the officers. When Harold mentioned Stinky on the lifeboat, Sid just broke down and began crying. Little did Harold know of the dark secret that Sid was keeping. He was trying to keep it hidden, the awful deed he performed. However, Sid was finding it hard to keep it inside, as it was eating him alive with each passing moment. Sid was nervous to find out what Harold would say if he knew the truth, and he wasn't planning on finding out anytime soon.

"Sid?" Harold asked his friend. "Is everything all right?"

"All right?" Sid chuckled nervously, avoiding Harold's eyes. He adjusted his hat that somehow managed to stay on his head. "Why wouldn't everything be all right?"

"Well, we did go through a traumatic experience," Harold said slowly. "We lost everything we owned, and we still don't know what happened to Stinky."

"R-right," Sid fumbled, sipping his soup. "For all we know, he could have gotten into a different lifeboat. Or he may not have made it at all."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"On the ship," Sid lied nervously. "We were about to jump. We sent deck chairs down. He went first and I jumped about a minute after. When I got back up to the surface, I didn't see him. Then I just held onto the chair until you came along."

Harold sighed. It was highly unlikely that Stinky survived. A pang of guilt filled him. "I shouldn't have left you two," Harold admitted. "I'm sorry that I did. The three of us should have stayed together. And maybe Stinky would have made it. We could have worked together and tried to stay alive, or at least I could have seen him until the end. I guess all we can do now is continue on with our plans and try to make it to California. Stinky would want it that way."

Sid didn't reply. Instead he hung his head low and wrapped the blanket around him tighter. All they could do is try and move on, but first Sid had to learn how to deal with the fact that he murdered one of his best friends and keeping it from his other best friend.

* * *

8:30 AM

Arnold finished getting dressed. He was sent to the first class dining room to be inspected by the physician. Luckily, he didn't have hypothermia, unlike the woman that was in his lifeboat. The physician spent a good amount of time working with her in the far end of the room. While the physician was working on her, Arnold warmed up with soup and tea while wrapped in a blanket while his clothes were being cleaned. He was also given several pairs of socks to warm his feet.

When the physician finished, he had a grim look on his face. Arnold had overheard the doctor saying to one of his assistants that there was small chance that she would survive the end of the day. Arnold felt bad for her, but he had to make sure that Helga and Gerald were safe. He overheard that the last of the lifeboats made it to Carpathia, and they will soon be departing. It was still uncertain whether they will be heading to New York or Europe, but he was certain that the captain will let them know soon.

As he was about to leave, a group of crew members rushed through the dining room, carrying a body. They were quickly followed by a small woman. Arnold recognized her immediately as Madeline Astor. He decided to wait and see what happened.

"We have a woman here who is unconscious," Madeline explained. "She jumped into the lifeboat as Titanic was sinking and broke her arm."

The physician inspected the unconscious woman. "Her arm isn't broken," he diagnosed, "but she will need to keep it in a sling for a few weeks. From the looks of her dress, she is a domestic. She won't be able to do any work until it heals. Is she your maid?"

"No," Madeline answered. "She works for a friend of mine, Rhonda Wellington Lloyd."

Arnold's eyes widened. Rhonda's maid? That means…

"Nadine," he whispered. He hurried over to the frail maid, elbowing his way past the crowd of crew members and Madeline Astor. "Nadine? It's Arnold Shortman, Rhonda's friend. You know my valet, Gerald. Can you hear me?"

Nadine slowly opened her eyes and gazed upon the owner of the voice. "Mr. Shortman? Where am I?" she asked weakly.

"I'm here, Nadine," Arnold answered, holding her hand attached to the uninjured arm. "You are safely on a ship called Carpathia. They rescued us and soon we will be leaving."

"Miss Lloyd?" Nadine wondered.

"I haven't seen her yet," Arnold explained. "I've been here ever since I came aboard. But I will make sure to find her and let her know you are safe."

"Thank you," she whispered just before being fed some soup. Arnold squeezed her hand and began to head out. He nodded to Madeline before leaving the dining room.

"Arnold?" Madeline called out before he left. Arnold turned to look at her.

"Yes, Madeline?" he replied.

"I was wondering if you have seen my husband. By any chance, was he in the same boat as you?"

Arnold shook his head disappointedly. "I'm afraid I haven't seen J.J. all night. The lifeboat I was in was flooded with water. We lost many people because of the cold, but your husband was not one of them."

Madeline nodded. "I'm certain he made it. There must be another lifeboat that has him. I know he's alive and he will find me. If you see him, tell him where I am."

Arnold agreed, knowing well enough that the chance of John Jacob Astor surviving is highly unlikely. He just couldn't bear to tell her. She will know soon enough. Following a steward, Arnold headed upstairs where the other first class passengers were being kept. He scoured the first room, but was unable to find anyone he needed to find. He trudged along to the second room, where he soon found a familiar face.

"Arnold, darling!" Rhonda called out. She rushed over to him and embraced him tightly. "How did you manage to survive? There have been very few first class men to come on."

"A flooded lifeboat," Arnold replied. "I was pulled from the water by someone in a lifeboat. Unfortunately, there was a lot of water at the bottom. By the grace of God, I survived."

"Thank goodness you did," Rhonda said. "Have you seen anyone else?"

"I was in the dining room ever since I got onboard, but I ran into Nadine."

"Nadine?" Rhonda repeated. "How is she? Did she survive?"

"Yes, she did," Arnold said. "She jumped into a lifeboat. Her arm is injured and she won't be able to do much work for a few weeks, but she will be fine."

Rhonda sighed in relief. "I'm glad to know she is safe. How about Lila?"

Arnold frowned. "She did not make it," he said flatly.

"Oh," Rhonda replied. "Such a shame. I will need to tell her family as soon as I can. They will be upset about this news. But now I must see Nadine. Will you take me to her?"

"Absolutely," Arnold answered. "If you don't mind waiting a moment, I must go see Helga. She must be worried sick and I want to let her know that I am safe."

Before Rhonda could answer, a steward called for attention in the room. "We ask that you all meet with us around the stairwell. The captain wishes to speak to all of you."

Curious, the survivors filed out of the room and headed to the main stairwell. The captain stood on one of the landings. The stairwell was soon covered by all the survivors of the sinking.

"My deepest apologies to everyone who went through such a tragedy last night. We have picked up everyone who survived. We looked around and we couldn't find any more survivors. If your loved ones are not on this ship, I am sorry but they did not survive. I know it is a hard time for everyone, and at this moment, I would like to have a prayer for those who were claimed by the sea."

Everyone bowed their heads and listened to the captain. The only sounds that could be herd was the captain's voice and the weeping of the newly formed widows. Once he finished and everyone said amen, the captain continued to speak.

"At this time, I want to tell all of you that we will be sailing to New York. It will be several days before we get there, but we will all that we can to accommodate everyone. If you need to send a telegram, the wireless office will make sure to send your messages to loved ones so they know you are safe. You may head back to your areas. Thank you for your time."

Arnold and Rhonda walked with the rest of the first class passengers. Sobs could be heard all around them as women began to realize their husbands were not with them.

"You'll never take me alive!" a voice cried out among the crowds. A crazed man began running around the corridors, followed by several crewmen.

"Sir, you need to let the doctor amputate your foot. It's frozen."

"Like hell it is!" the man shouted. "I need to deliver a message and anyone who gets in my way I'll throw you overboard!"

"My God," Rhonda whispered. "It can't be."

"Can't be what?" Arnold asked inquisitively.

"Curly," Rhonda said. "That's Curly's voice. He survived."

"And he was with Gerald to get Nadine. Perhaps he knows where Gerald is."

"Then what are we doing just standing here?" In no time, the two friends ran after the voice, moving their way through the slow traffic back to the rooms. They both shouted his name, but Curly's voice stayed at a distance. They quickened their pace, not caring who got in their way.

"Watch where you're walking!" an angry voice yelled behind them.

"Sorry, Mr. Pataki," Arnold yelled back, then stopped dead in his tracks. "Mr. Pataki?"

"Arnold, come on!" Rhonda urged, grabbing onto his hand. "You can worry about Helga's father later. Right now, we need to get to Curly."

Arnold followed, still confused how Robert "Big Bob" Pataki survived. The last he had heard of him was when he decided to go drink in the smoking room and play cards. How could he have possibly survived?

He soon ran into something, realizing that it was Rhonda. He was about to ask why she stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. He followed the gaze and his eyes landed on Curly right in front of them. Next to Curly was a sobbing Phoebe. Arnold moved closer. Curly turned to the heir of the hotels and lowered his head. Arnold's heart sank. He knew immediately that Gerald did not make it. Arnold closed his eyes and sighed deeply. His best friend was gone forever. Arnold looked to Phoebe, who was crying hysterically. He moved closer to the heartbroken maid and held her close. Welcoming his embrace, Phoebe cried into his newly cleaned shirt.

As Arnold held Phoebe, he looked around him. He saw surrounding them Rhonda, Curly, and Miriam Pataki. There was no Gerald, nor would there ever be again. But Arnold couldn't help but notice that someone else was missing.

"Where's Helga?" he asked.

Phoebe froze in his arms and Miriam hesitated. Arnold looked at them, growing more and more worried. Phoebe was the first to speak.

"After the ship sank, our lifeboat was debating whether or not to go back and save some people. Helga was adamant about going back, but most of the boat was against it. So, she-" Phoebe began choking up.

"What did she do Phoebe?" Arnold asked impatiently.

"She jumped into the water and swam off!" Phoebe said rapidly. "Mrs. Pataki and I wanted to go after her, but the rest of the boat refused. They didn't want to go after someone who was making a suicidal gesture."

Arnold felt his legs weaken below him. This could not be happening. Helga would not do that, not after promising him that she would stay on the boat and live.

"Where is she?" he asked sternly.

"We don't know," Miriam admitted. "We haven't found her when we boarded, and we have been here for over an hour."

"She has to be somewhere!" he exclaimed, pulling Phoebe away from him, causing her to cry even more. "You were supposed to look after her!"

"Arnold?"

"Not now!" he shouted, looking at the owner of the voice. He straightened up when he saw who it was. "My apologies, Madeline, but now is not a good time."

"I thought you would want to know that while I was in dining room, there was a woman there and she looked an awful lot like Helga. She was bundled up in blankets, and it was said she was near death."

Near death. The woman in the lifeboat. All this time, it was Helga! She could still be alive. He ran through the corridors, followed closely by the others. He med it to the dining room to where he last saw the woman, but she was not there. He looked around and saw a crew member.

"Excuse me, but there was a woman here who had hypothermia. Where is she?" Arnold begged.

"She no longer needs our services," the steward replied and then left almost immediately.

"What-" Arnold began before his voice was blocked off by the sound of the horn. The engines roared to life and the ship began to sail back to New York. Arnold fell to his knees next to the makeshift bed where she laid. This whole time he could have been there for her, keeping her warm.

"Oh, Helga," Arnold whispered.

**A/N: I know, what a cliffhanger. Did Helga make it? You'll just have to wait and see. Once again, if you didn't read the update version of my last chapter, I suggest you do so or else what you have just read won't make any sense.**


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